Dimple B Shah: October 2024

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Negotiating Spirituality – Path of Jina

10th August 2024, Pateras Club Studio Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Blur Border Performance Art Exchange 2024

organized and curated by
Mongkol Plienbangchang and Aor Nopawan

Photography by

Apisak Ratchakwan

This performance in Thailand was the fourth one. This work took shape after delving deep into a rich tapestry of life and culture of Thailand. It continued my search to understand spirituality and its impact on the far regions in Thailand and the far southeast. It involved intense study of the people, their faith, and their culture. The mesmerizing gold Buddhist statues in Nakhon Si Thammarat stirred deep emotions within me. The golden Buddha statues at the city temple and the numerous small statues in the museum resonated strongly in my mind. The glittering bronze sheets in my artwork metaphorically and poetically represent these statues.

I've been exploring the various ways in which people express their spiritual beliefs. Cultures and emotional, psychological, and spiritual interpretations of religious faith vary across cultural dimensions. What ties these core beliefs together if they are different from each other? This inquiry delves into deeper levels of understanding.

As I worked with the brass sheets, I noticed how the sounds they produced influenced my state of mind. I carefully prepared the sheets by treating them with salt, which added an intriguing dimension to my artistic process. I invite the audience to participate by creating their internal representation of Buddha. The search for their otherness is the Buddha within.

Few participants were unwilling or did not comprehend. After some interactions, they moulded the dough into a Buddha and placed it in the centre. The concept was to delve into their methods of capturing the essence of Buddha through their unique shapes and forms.

Later, when I was alone, I took action that represented my face, expressing doubt and a metaphoric search for Buddha. I tried to capture an impression of my face on a bronze surface, aiming to symbolize my personal and shared quest for enlightenment about Buddha.

This performance was an intentionally complex and multilayered response to society. It was not just an attempt to understand spirituality in a different land. The performance was captivating, delivering flawlessly and reflecting the emotive responses with power and grace.