In Flight

Artists Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra’s last solo,“Windows of Opportunity”,was at Art Plural,Singapore,March 2013. The concerns remain the same but not the medium in their next project. Known to address issues of consumerism and identity through their larger-than-life mixed media installations,Thukral and Tagra are now working with delicate porcelain. The work factory is miles away from their Gurgaon studio,at the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory in Germany. The duo will soon be giving finishing touches to a three-feet ceramic installation of a school boy in turban. With wings attached,he represents the “flying child” or those who nurture the dream of relocating to the West. While the duo has dealt with the subject numerous times,the inspiration in this case,came from an Indian who runs a restaurant near Meissen. “He migrated from Kapurthala to Germany years ago. He claims to be a legal migrant but there are several who must have entered the country illegally,” says Thukral. The school boy will not stand alone though. The complete installation will have other pieces designed at Meissan. These too will symbolise the desire to reach distant destinations and break away. The motifs will be typical of T&T — flying houses,retro radios,floral patterns and the clothes line.