From Here to There II

Project Initiated By  Team Beyond Belfast
Performance done as part of Same Difference: Equinox to Equniox
Kalamandir School of Art,Hanumanthnagar, Bangalore  22 September 2016
37  world wide Location ,37 Performance group and 275 performance artists One Moment of Equal Night and Day 

The performance was done on the occasion of World Performance Day celebrations.Around 275 artists from 37 Locations performed at the same day Equaling Day and Night in their respective space and countries. This project was initiated by “Team Beyond Belfast” and in this global event from Bangalore I did my performance. “Here to There II” was an extension of my previous performance,performed in Sweden (this performance focused on issue of migrations, homelessness and acceptance of people who are immigrants/refuges come from war zone area.

This performance was about people who lost their homes, Land & country and tried to migrate to distance land and find and make new homes. The performance act started by metaphorically connecting to one own bonding with homeland and home. Symbolically connecting it through brick tied up to feet.

The home and land which they had to leave behind destroyed in war. The memory of homes they carry wherever they go.The weight of loss and pain of hope and homes keep on haunting them at one point and they struggle for survival at other point.)

This project was collaborated with students with whom I had already shared concerns and issues of migration and homelessness, and asked them to prepare themselves with their reactions in any which way they could connect to it.In an indoor space

I started building my performance by wrapping plastic homes on my head and chewing Sweet Paan (Sweet BetelNut Leaf) overdosing and over stuffing my mouth with sweetness of chewed pan.

While I was performing this act students started sharing their words on flex both in Kannada and English language, the words which had negative connotations,then slowly I started giving card which had images of destroyed homes and also gave sweet pan to audiences but only few of audiences accepted them. The Sweet pan represents acceptance and non acceptance of immigrant in any country.

As I was overstuffed with sweetness I had to spit and I spitting on text shared by students.The performance unfolded by unwrapping of plastic homes which represent hope and aspiration of migrant to get one more home in distance land which seldom happen and they remain as refugees and end up fighting for survival. My performance also ended by resting dream homes on jute gunny bag which metaphorically represent survival and existence on the edge. 

Dimple B Shah 30th May 2017