Journal of Creative Arts & Minds

An Article about my Art Practice in

Journal of Creative Arts & Minds

Check the link Below for more Details 

https://issuu.com/jumboartsinternational/docs/jcam-vol3no2-dec2017-7_dec_edit

Under The Raintree Women's Cultural Festival

at Ravindra Kalakshetra

Women's Cultural Festival 

Under the Visual section, 'Her Voice' celebrates creative contributions by Anuradha Nalapat, Arathi H.K., Bhavani G.S., Bharati Sagar, Dimple Shah, Dimpy Menon, Meenakshi, Rani Rekha, Romicon Revola, Shan Re, Sumana Chowdhury, Shamala Nandesha, Shantamani M, Urmila V.G., Smitha Cariappa, Indu Antony and Lakshmakka,
'Her Voice' brings together an exhibition of paintings, prints, sculpture, photographs, installation, video art and Performance art. Three workshops that include Woodcut, Chittara folk painting and an art experiential art installation workshop. Panel discussion with eminent artists and a special edition of art park. Please be a part of this fest from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th.
Schedule:
17th Friday:
11 am : 'Her Voice' - Exhibition @ Lounge 2
Exhibition on view till Sunday from 11 am to 5.30 pm
11 am: Introduction to Art Experiential Installation workshop by Anuradha Nalapat. The workshop process continues till Sunday.
18th Saturday:
10.30- 3.30 pm : Woodcut Workshop & Chittara workshop. Both workshops continue till Sunday.
3.00 pm Performance art by Smitha Cariappa
19th Sunday:
11 am: Special edition of Art Park.
2 pm: Panel discussion @ Lounge 2
3.30 pm. Performance Art by Dimple Shah
For more details and updates please visitwww.undertheraintreefestival.com

also Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/391571491262460/

Performances Ost-West-Friedenskirche

Hosted by Beyond Ritual

https://www.facebook.com/events/2220407171519737/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D

On 25th October At Ost- ESet- Friedenskriche

Die Ost-West-Friedenskirche ist in München ein ganz besonderer Ort. Die BEYOND RITUAL KünstlerInnen werden auf dem Areal zwei performative Interaktionen starten. Danach besuchen wir gemeinsam Timofeis Garten.

LOVE OF SAFFRON- NEGOTIATING SACREDNESS (Revisiting Love, Fear and Hatred) von Dimple B Shah:
Die Performance wird versuchen den Paradigmenwechsel in Bezug auf Macht und Heiligkeit von "Safran" zu erfassen. Die Künstlerin will damit die psychische Spannung, die sich im Austausch zwischen Körper, Macht und Ritual von damals bis heute aufgebaut hat, untersuchen.

HOLLOWNESS von Marta Bosowska:
Ausgangspunkt der Performance sind Erinnerungen an Orte. Die Künstlerin bezieht sich in ihren Aktionen beständig auf verschiedene Zeitkonzepte, auf Erlebbarkeit von Präsenz und Absenz und auf vergangenes und gegenwärtiges Geschehen.

Survival and Existence in ft² (Square Feet)

Break through #18 by Dimple B Shah

Wednesday 11.10.2017, 7 pm during the

Zona Libreritual Party as a part of the project: beyond

Good Food Bangalore 2017

Goethe Institute 
All are Invited

Project 560 Highlights India Foundation For The Arts

Project 560 Highlight 2014

Featuring all project Including Basavangudi Live Art Project

IMPRINTING THE DARK PERIOD

http://www.hystericalfeminisms.com/voices1/2016/10/24/imprinting-theperiod-dark-

HYSTERIA

IMPRINTING THE DARK PERIOD

A PERFORMANCE BY DIMPLE B SHAH

My performance was conceived of my firsthand experience in the city of Dhaka. Once, while entering the city on the way from the airport, I saw a very big cluster of tricycle wala taking the road by storm. The road was fully packed with traffic and I could only see the struggle and pain in their body that they constantly endure to survive every day. I could only play the role of a third person who is looking at the whole ordeal: a silent observer, gulping down the fact that the way of life in Dhaka demands hard work in order to survive. This put together two roles in my mind: one is the position of Victim (the cycle wala) and the other one – me, the silent observer. I wanted to bring both of these roles in my performance work

In this performance, my main intention was to draw attention to various social issues that serves as boundaries for active social justice and change. Our society keeps absorbing so-called negativities in the form of Dark, which accumulate in our system like carbon. If we don’t burn out and convert this energy into something positive, it will totally take us to the depths of its darkness. My performance was an attempt to resist this, ejecting all the negativities of our society in the form of bodily resistance.

The act was a ritualistic process for both my audience and I. I went to the audience to collect the negative words. They were asked to vent their negative emotions – the outcome of negative imprints left by society – on a piece of paper. They were also asked to write their negative emotions on the body of the artist friend who became a part of performance. He stood in the position of the Victim and I take the third position of the observer. But I am not silent this time. I do a ritualistic act of sitting on the tricycle in a very dominating position, while burning slices of bread with a kerosene lamp. I try to eat all the burnt bread without water. It was metaphorically symbolizing that we in the third position are also sensitive to negativities. Later, the paper on which the negative words were written was also burnt in incense to spread positive energy. Imprinting the dark was overall a performance in which I (observer), the victim and audiences all went through the process of making something different out of a negative energy.

Performance: Dimple B Shah

Collaborators: Neloy Hossian and audience

Photo Credit: Nasir Ahammed

Venue: Chhobir Haat, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Date of performance: 12/11/2014

Duration of performance: 60 minutes

Meet The Masked Crusader Who Wants to Remember Unsung Hero

Bengaluru-based performance artist Dimple B Shah reminds us what India stands for today, even if that means dressing up like past's forgotten faces

Dimple, who has brought forward many sensitive issues to the public as a performance artist, creates various characters in public

Over the years, many have given their blood for the freedom our country enjoys today. We've read about some of them and we've even watched movies made on them, but there are a fair few who have been instrumental in building the society we live in. Dimple B Shah, a Bengaluru-based performance artist wants this generation to remember those 'forgotten faces' of the bygone era, who were present when India transitioned from pre-independence to post-independence.

Dimple, who has brought forward many sensitive issues to the public as a performance artist, creates various characters in public. "Through this performance, my attempt was to not only introduce images of famous personalities of the area, but I also wanted senior citizens to come forward and share a bit of their past with us," she says.

Who'that: Dimple covered her face with a black cloth and dressed as a 19-century man

The talented artist that she is, Dimple wanted an open view point on the situation. To achieve this, she covered her face with a black cloth and dressed as a 19-century common man - wearing a jubba, kurta and holding an umbrella. She must've looked like someone straight out of a black-and-white movie! "This metaphorically represented the forgotten personalities and their contributions to the society," explains Dimple, who chose Basavanagudi for this project as it stands out as one of the oldest areas in Bengaluru.

Through this performance, my attempt was to not only introduce images of famous personalities of the area, but I also wanted senior citizens to come forward and share a bit of their past with us

Dimple B Shah, performance artist.

During the performance, Dimple distributed pictures of lesser-known social reformers. Hosur Narasimhaiah, a freedom fighter who received the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to literature and education and is known for adopting the Gandhian ideology and challenging superstitions was one such reformer. "Have we heard of him? No. Like him, there are many such names who have silently pushed our country towards development," she says.

But why cover her face? Dimple explains that she didn't want her act to be restricted in terms of the personalities. "I didn't want to represent only a single reformer or an idea," she states. Her act also represented one of the first social organisations in Karnataka - Abalashrama, a house that was converted into a shelter for abandoned women, which was established years ahead of Independence and still remains one of the most important homes in the country.

Numbers speak: Dimple B Shah has been performing for over 17 years now

Carrying the act forward, the audience is required to take home the pictures and find out more these forgotten faces. For any artist, satisfaction lies in tacknowledgmentent of the work that they do. Similarly, Dimple draws motivation from the participation of her audience. In her case, it has to be prominent and candid. "We don't have a rehearsal. As performance artists, we face a live audience and that's how we take our act forward. The acts are more communicative in nature and we get our feedback on the road itself," she says.

And when a senior citizen from the audience participated in the act, Dimple was understandably elated. "A 70-year-old man came forward and started narrating Sanskrit slokas about choosing the right kind of leader in the society. That gave me a high. The participation of the audience is the best reward I can ask for as a performance artist," says Dimple. To follow suit, we too believe that it is time for the present generation to take a page out of the past to pave way for a better future.

Article by 

Punita Maheswari 

Published: 14th August 2017
Edex Live
http://www.edexlive.com/live-story/2017/aug/14/meet-the-masked-crusader-who-wants-you-remember-of-the-unsung-heroes-of-the-past-988.html

WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU SEE: BODY AND THE PERFORMING ARTS

Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Updated: Jun 18, 2017, 09.54 PM IST

By: Suresh Jayaram

Dimple Shah's performances fall under the genre of contemporary art. Here, she wants to remember the forgotten faces who contributed to development of society

http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/what-you-see-when-you-see-body-and-the-

performing-arts/articleshow/59207402.cms?utm_source=bangaloremirror&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=referral

Dimple Shah juggles many genres as a visual artist. She specialized in Print making from MS University and has been exploring Performance art, and has been extensively travelling in India and the world with her performances.

As I stood at a prominent junction in Basvangudi to view Dimple’s performance art, I was asked by residents and auto rickshaw drivers about this event. I had to contextualize it with artist’s intention as a site and time specific event, a interdisciplinary live action, performed in a context. And it was a process of interaction with live audience. The artist is not acting a plot, but has constructed a liminal space and steps into this provisional time.

Dimple is conscious of the gendered body and uses it in different contexts. “In Indian women’s Performance Art therefore, apart from other issues, a preoccupation with women’s marginalization has been central. The collusion of cultural, religious and political discourses in subjugating women is probed. Such art-works reform the spatial segregation of women by pursuing personal issues of women’s lives in public spaces. By bringing their art into the everyday they infuse it with greater audience-performer interactivity, also implicating the audience in the issues being addressed.” As articulated by Minakshi Kaushik.

Dimple’s plays with local characters and identifies with their social, political and cultural associations. Her former experience in theatre has a decisive influence on her work. Dimple’s Basavangudi Project called 'Forgotten Faces- Reliving Past’,supported by IFA- India Foundation for the Arts- Project-560.This performance was about forgotten faces and looking back into important period of development of this area and the long association with writers and theatre people. Dimple recollected characters from a socio-cultural milieu with warmth and nostalgia and was made visible the people and spaces that had a history and local context. Dimple was dressed in a typical “Jubba-Dothi" with odd coat and Mysore turban”- the image of the “Modern man” from another era, and she had an instant reaction from her audience.

She said: “In this performance my attempt was not only through my performance introduce the images of famous personalities of Basvangudi but also wanted senior citizen to come out and share their bit of the past with us. I covered my face with a black cloth metaphorically to represent the forgotten personalities and their contributions. I was also carrying a custom made umbrella with images of famous personalities which was metaphorical-represented that we are under their shade. I interacted with audience questioning whose image it was and circulated photocopies of famous personalities with their names on it. It was made interactive as audiences were suppose to take and rediscover them."

Looking back at the history of Performance, it was a genre in which art is presented "live," usually by the artist but sometimes with collaborators or performers. It has had a role in avant-garde art throughout the twentieth century, playing an important part in anarchic movements such as Futurism and Dada. Indeed, whenever artists have become discontented with conventional forms of art, such as painting and traditional modes of sculpture, they have often turned to performance as a means to rejuvenate their work. Although the concerns of performance artists have changed since the 1960s, the genre has remained a constant presence, and has largely been welcomed into the conventional museums and galleries from which it was once excluded. The foremost purpose of performance art has almost always been to challenge the conventions of traditional forms of visual art such as painting and sculpture. Another Performance of Dimple was Meet K. Venkatappa (May 2016). This is was an interactive live performance, and was part of VAG forum, through this performance my attempt was to introduce works of K Venkatappa, artistically using old Bioscope to show his works by making a film strip of his paintings, landscapes and other mythological stories to common people. The major concern was to draw the attention of people towards the issue of Venkatappa Art Gallery. 

Another of Dimple’s performance was called Piece of Earth in my Pocket, at Bangalore Santhe- Vivekananda Metro Station 2014 Part of Live Art Lab. “In this performance I intended to focus on two aspects, one rapid development of urban space leading to constant demand for more land leading to deforestation.

Dimple Shah has been consistently pushing the boundaries of her performance practice in our city where the artist sustains herself with a teaching job at the Bangalore University department of Fine Arts. The persistence to involve herself with issues beyond gender specific roles is admirable. She uses every opportunity to make her presence felt as a contemporary artist of our times.

(Suresh Jayaram is a visual artist, curator and art historian; his column features perspectives on the Arts)

Bring me the Smell of Earth and I bring you taste of Love II

Jaipur Art Summit 

9th December 2016 Jaipur , India

“We are what we remember. If we lose our memory, we lose our identity and our identity is the accumulation of our experiences. When we walk down the memory lane, it can be unconsciously, willingly, selectively, impetuously or sometimes grudgingly. By following our stream of consciousness we look for lost time and things past. Some reminiscences become anchor points that can take another scope with the wisdom of hindsight. ("Walking down the memory lane") - Erik Pevernagie 

The idea for this Performance was to establish connection to historical aspects of Jaipur City. Jaipur is one of the oldest cities and its architecture is old as 300 to 400 years every stone of the city is embedded with history within. The city has lots to share, from small to big stories of people who lived in this place. Strange and curious stories are embedded in the walls of the city, the people of city who have witnessed the city growing in ages can share lot of untold stories. 

I viewed city through an archeological perspective and I performed as a sort of an archeologist who wants to collect evidence as much as possible from the historical reminiscence of the city, in this process I became part of it and merged with it, camouflaging self with city. I turned myself in pink through ritualistic and per formative act, becoming one with the city turning myself in pink in my mind, heart and soul. The essence of city can be found in various sources in its old historical buildings, be it city streets and lanes, or in its air, in colors of stones and bringing the real essence of pulsating and breathing city not only Capturing its past but the present, which stands for rich Historical and Cultural heritage. 

Through various alchemical processes of collecting grinding filtering Bricks and earth from various corners of city, Merging my body to become part of it. Finding and collecting evidences to understand the art and culture of the city. One need to dig deep to understand the city and it is possible only through close observation of objects, remains like stones and bricks which has embedded history. This performance was collaborated with common audience; they became part of my intervention when they lend their contribution by participating in the performance and by showering pink earth on me and share oral history of the place, and in return take back token of love from artists a sweet which was mix of flavors (Bitter and sweet).

This project was kind of personal journey, a process where I became part of space I visit and live in for some time and establish connection. To understand culture one needs to live not only in monuments, old literature but also connect to local people and know more through oral histories which surely add varied and unique dimension to known histories. My focus was to create a sense for a collective cultural memory, about individuals and also shared spaces, personal /collective journey of self local communities.

It is a process through which we resurface invisible memories into the visible mode. It is a culturaldiscourse of understanding historical city. The performance was to collect the essence of city, reminiscence of rich history of the pink city, and also about dissolving myself in the color and culture of the city. 

Dimple B Shah  November 2016

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

For those who want to make an ‘Impression Review in New Indian Express

For those who want to make an ‘Impression’

Art Park Edition Meet 31 Print makers
coordinated by Dimple B Shah and Bhagya AjaiKumar

By Ramzauva Chhakchhuak | Express News Service | Published: 03rd May 2017 10:25 PM |

 

Art Park Meet 31 Print makers -coordinated by Dimple B Shah and Bhagya Ajaikumar

Art Park Meet 31 Print makers

coordinated by Dimple B Shah and Bhagya Ajaikumar

On Art of Printmaking- Dimple B Shah New Indian Express 3rd May 17

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2017/may/03/on-the-art-of-printmaking-1600692.html

On the art of printmaking

By Ramzauva Chhakchhuak | Express News Service | Published: 03rd May 2017 10:25

From Here to There

Live Action 11, 10th September 2017 

Lejontrappan Goteburg ,Sweden
Last Day of performance Festival 

This performance was performed at canal side where boats come in, although this canal is used as tourist Spot, but in the past I think it would have used as entry point at Lejontrappan Goteborg. I choose this spot deliberately since these acts as a situation for my audiences. Acting as entry point for refugees to come in boats with life jackets, refugees who have lost their homes left their country and survived to reach one of these European countries. This performance was a subtle act about concern related to migrations. I wanted to see how receptivity and acceptability of refugees by local Population, I could see in their eyes when they thought I am one of migratory/refugee, asking for help and they started ignoring my work and me. My performance started in other side of the road where lot of pigeons comes for food and hence they left lot of feathers as I was mentally preparing for my performance. I collected many feathers from the spot and after some time I moved to other side toward the river where boats come in. 

I started building small dream home first from the feathers as base and on top pasting plastic toy homes which are colorful. I moved to the spots near boat and people were lining up for entry in boat. I could see the reaction from people they did not want to have eye contacts I felt some doubt in their eyes I was also wearing belt which looked like refugee or police Suit. Slowly back to position and started building home and which was tied to my head and I was carving Chalk piece which replicated like destroyed home from Syria and also tired to give away cards which had images of this broken home and destroyed city and people the general public who were lining up were avoiding me then few came to me and asked as I tried to give card with image of this dilapidated building and home they just did not want to accept. 

I was trying to read their mind may be they don’t like refugees coming or they did not want to give spaces and very clearly it was showing up they were not happy about lot of people migrating to their country the acceptability is not so easy they feel lot of insecurity about migrating people coming to their city.Then my act unfolded with floating the feather and dream homes in water this was in hope people in far off land will see and will give them some space for migrating population who have lost their home in their country. 

Dimple B Shah 20 April 2017

Photo by Chuyia Chia

The Silent Whisper

Childhood Toys disappears, but fond memories remain

Live Action 11 First Day of Performance Festival Performance inside Train from Goteborg to Trollhalten, and in Trollhalten Sweden 6th September 2016 

In this performance my attempt was to build a connection with my audience through objects of memory. The memories of childhood have lasting impression and impact in our mind. These memories of childhood are Pure, naïve and embedded with innocence. In this work my attempt was to build an endless connection with my audiences through objects of childhood which are mundane and lost its importance when grown up, but remains as keys to open doors to our childhood memories and also finds special space in our home whenever one want to connect to the past. My idea was to create situations for audience, where audience could experience the space I come from. Every individual person comes from diverse cultural and geographical background. Every cultural has it unique language and coded language, gesture which are unique; my idea was to bring this unique experience to my audience and evoke with new experiences.

The performance had started much before we reached the spot Trollhaltan, Sweden, Performance in Transit inside the train where I created a mood with sound and slowly Mauritz Tistelö also joined with hand full of grass. The sound created a meditative mood for me to involve myself to childhood memory I was making sound by using small toy which was given by Linda Mary Montano for me it toy reminded me of my childhood memory and also symbolically replicated self in some way.

we reached the Trollhalten and spot for performance, where I interacted with my audience by working on different sensory level like food and color and objects like kitchen toys from my place and with visual images of objects of my collection. These personal objects of memories are extremely important and plays important role in developing ones emotional stability and transcending the meaning which leads to sublime blissful feeling. This object are integral part of my life I presented this objects kitchen toys to my audience to play home game and create a situation for exchange secret code each individual reacted and connected to objects differently in way they could connect and get involved themselves to play home game through their perception and experiences. It was like building karmic connection through the act. It was basically about the relationship between humans and their memories of childhood.

As Alan Radley discusses, memory is a practice through which we “engage with the material world”. It is within this space that we recuperate the traces of ourselves and of the past, even if what we wish to do is forget about it; or, in fact, erase it.

Memory is sources of personal identity images of past perception, perception of experience we had, frequency of process that links different experiences in an individual memory. Memories goes beyond individual which is collective memory, the memory of a nation, culture and society, it is constructive in nature and links past to present, how do society remember this it through monuments, stories, literature, oral history and objects.

It is also process of making lost moment visible once again. Ordinary objects symbolizes experience, aspiration and identity without the object stories would lack vibrancy without the stories they lack significance taken together the object / images of the object and stories that evoke, lead the viewers on journey where the common place is transformed into remarkable stuff of history which is highly personalized. There might be events that transform ordinary things into irreplaceable carrier of identity emotion and memory this object help us finds way forward relics that are associated with tremendous powerful events it does matter how does ordinary things is not just ordinary any more.

Whether as a site, agent, or purveyor of memory, objects and the collections they comprise serve to inform us of the past in the present and communicate identities. Memory is a liminal space, made possible through a process of construction and conflation. memory is not just an individual, private experience but is also part of the collective domain, Recent research and theorizing in cultural memory has emphasized the importance of considering the content of cultural identities in understanding the study of social relations and predicting cultural attitudes. 

“Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories.” - Walter Benjamin"

  Dimple B Shah 2017

  Photo credit to  Ah Qiang