The Queen’s Phone Repair Shop Hosts a Museum Collaboration

The “For You” page on TikTok has often been criticized for becoming too localized, but some appreciate the shift towards local content. This is evident in Umber Majeed’s exhibition “J😊Y TECH” at the Queens Museum, drawing from the visual culture of Jackson Heights, Queens. Inspired by her late uncle’s tourist agency, Majeed creates a digital universe blending South Asian digital kitsch with augmented reality, video, drawings, and ceramics. Her work explores the intersection of diasporic Asian culture and early internet aesthetics.

The exhibition features technological nostalgia with modern tools. “Untitled” (2025), a one-minute video, simulates a 3D box with objects like an Apple logo, CD-ROM, and Mughal dome floating inside, serving as a repository of collective memory. AR elements enhance the experience; for instance, “zoom in” (2024) activates animations referencing the 1947 partitioning of India, enhancing the narrative through digital layers.

Majeed’s exhibition blurs lines between digital and physical realms, using motifs like grids reminiscent of tiled floors and digital spaces. While innovative, the exhibition demands viewer engagement, with cultural nuances accessible primarily to those familiar with South Asian contexts. Some pieces, like a challenging video work, blend social media chaos with historical references, leaving audiences piecing together cultural narratives.

“J😊Y TECH” resonates deeply, especially for Asian Americans of the 1990s and 2000s, melding diasporic and digital cultures. Majeed’s artistic exploration invites reflection on aesthetic biases, intersecting local and global cultural dialogues in a dynamic exhibition. The exhibition, curated by Lindsey Berfond, is open at the Queens Museum until January 2026.