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Journalism of Courage
A wall at the Exhibit 320 gallery is adorned with old archival photographs ranging from an Indian Maharajas portrait to a sepia toned picture of a woman working on a sewing machine. In these images,that comprise self-taught artist Nandan Ghiyas installation titled,Times Square on My Mind,the artist attempts to symbolise a reality he has observed. They are part of a project-cum-exhibition on display at the gallery,titled Artchiving; an artists perspective,aimed at creating an archive of artists practices and their beliefs.
The accompanying text with the Maharajas portrait reads: AC/DC is not for me. AC/ DC is an Australian rock band and reveals the disconnect many Indians have with western music. The text accompanying the picture of the woman in the sari reads: Work at home,mom makes $7,397 a month and is a reference to the numerous pop ups that appear on malicious websites. A pre-recorded video interview playing alongside his work describes the concept of the installation. Times Square,with its billboards and stores,stands as a metaphor for the dreams of thousands of Indians who think that going to America and settling there is a big achievement, he says.
Conceptualised by curator Ranjita Chaney Menezes,the exhibition draws attention to the work of five artists. Perceiving finished works on display from every artist,interviews about their practice and thesis on their work style,is not abundant. So we are revisiting the basic question everybody is keen to have an answer to – How is it done,whats the artist thinking when creating or working on a piece and many more, says Menezes.
Another installation by artist Sunoj D from Bangalore titled Somewhere Between This Side And That Side comprises laterite stones decorated with broken pieces of tinted glass on both sides. A video shows the 34-year-old artist working with the materials in his studio. I have an old technique to stick the glass pieces. I made use of sand,lime,jaggery and water,which were used for constructing buildings in the old days. I wanted to make it as organic and non-chemical as possible. The 34-year-old artist further says,My grandfather was a rice farmer and would force me to go with him to the farm every morning. That helped me in my practise. He taught me how to observe everything in the farm and that helped me as an artist since it is important to explore the surrounding.
The exhibition is on display till January 18 at Exhibit 320,Lado Sarai. Contact: 46130637
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