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Journalism of Courage
Two years ago, in June, about 50 people came together in Mumbai. Curiosity and anticipation hung heavy in the air as they were offered a chance to be a part of an unusual project called “Stupid Eye”. After a four-hour-long session, photographer Vipul Amar and psychologist Harsheen K Arora — the duo behind the project — had found their protagonists who would do their bits for the psychology-meets-photography undertaking. Consent forms were signed and a few months later, in October 2012, the process was repeated in Delhi.
Cut to present. Photographs depicting the “true selves” of the protagonists are on display at Triveni Kala Sangam. Says Arora, “We invited people to tell us how they would like to be shot. The ideas were then streamlined into three themes — ‘real self’, ‘ideal self’ and ‘self-actualisation’. Frames were designed based on these concepts, and after numerous individual sessions with the participants, the process of therapeutic imagery followed. Arora explains the three concepts through the piece titled Da Sien-Being in the World. The protagonist for this canvas, a hairdresser by profession, pictured herself as a ball of light, after disconnecting from the mundane issues that troubled her. “She was going through a rough phase and wanted to run away from everything. That’s why she wanted to disconnect. But what she actually wanted was to be able to detach from the world, make peace with her inner self, and embark on a more spiritual journey,” says 27-year-old Arora.
“Sometimes, even if we are aware, we don’t know the truth about ourselves. We lie to ourselves all the time,” says Arora. “All we want to do through this project,” says Amar, “is to ask people to be true, at least
to themselves.”
“Stupid Eye” is on at Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, till May 7, 11 am to 7 pm. Contact 23719470. Visit http://www.stupideye.in for more
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