Finding Spaces: Grantee Edition - Dimple Shah India Foundation for the Arts India Foundation for the Arts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsU3l0_xwH8

Word on the street

Project 560, a Bengaluru-centric arts initiative, leverages nostalgia and local knowledge to take art to the masses.

Article by RAMYA SRINIVASAN, BusinessLine (BLink), July 29, 2016.

Just look around you. Every space seems to tell a story. From the cosy corner of the house that relaxes you to the lush green park where you love to take your kids, from the favourite restaurant that is your go-to weekend stopover to the city you were born in, places are special and have the ability to reserve a sweet spot in your memories. Every place has a unique energy, soul, character and history. In a quest to discover such spaces and celebrate them unabashedly, the ‘Found Spaces’ festival was started in 2014 by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA).

For over 20 years, IFA has been contributing to the field of arts research, practice and education. Its Project 560 is an ode to Bengaluru, to the artistic richness of the city and the abundance of creative expressions that integrate the city’s past with the present. “Often, we do projects at a national level and miss the local advantage that we have. By focusing on Bengaluru, where IFA is based out of, we have been able to go deeper and connect better with people,” says Sumana Chandrasekhar, programme executive, IFA, who is also responsible for Project 560.

As for 560, it is the first three digits of the city’s pin code. Over two years, Project 560 has been prolific with not fewer than 12 projects. The unifying theme across these projects is to discover spaces in the city and explore them through an artist’s frame of reference.

Chandrasekhar explains how the seed for this annual tradition was sowed, “Around 2009, the theatre infrastructure cell of IFA was researching the physical infrastructure in Manipur, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. What we found was that while infrastructure was available, there were technical and cost-related challenges. This made us think about using non-proscenium spaces.” Unfortunately, IFA had to close down the Theatre Infrastructure Cell due to budget constraints, but it held on to the idea.

The concept was picked up again in 2014 and executed as the ‘Found Spaces’ festival, this time with funding from the Qualcomm Foundation (Citi India sponsored the 2015 edition). Six projects were selected each year to explore the city’s informal spaces and the artists were given grants to could execute them. The events and performances were held over three days, with the selected artists exhibiting their work.

The 12 projects offer interesting variations, exploring Bengaluru’s nooks and crannies as well as popular hangouts, paying homage to the past but also looking towards the future. The performers range from individuals to large groups, targeting an audience ranging from the elite to the layman.

Where food meets literature

Mangala N, a theatre professional for around 30 years, decided to celebrate the popular south Indian food joint Vidyarthi Bhavan, known for its delicious masala dosa and salivating filter coffee, with a multi-sensory artistic experience combining theatre, music and visual installations. The culinary landmark has been around since 1943, boasting a rich history. The story goes that Vidyarthi Bhavan declared August 15, 1947 as a holiday, and as the day fell on a Friday, the tradition of having a Friday holiday continues till date.

Mangala wanted to trace the history of the restaurant that went hand-in-hand with the Kannada literary movement. She explains, “Vidyarthi Bhavan is an important part of the city’s cultural map, frequented by artists, literary personalities, sportspeople and politicians. So we did a theatrical performance with imaginary conversations between artists from the past and the present. For example, how would it be if greats such as DV Gundappa, Rajarathnam, AN Krishna Rao and Vishnuvardhan spoke to contemporary artists such as Vasudhendra, Rangayana Raghu and PD Sathish Chandra? What would the greats think about the current blogging and social media culture? How would they perceive the shift from print to digital media?” All these questions (and more) were answered with an effective mix of improvisations and scripted performances. On the day of the performance, the restaurant was filled to more than twice its capacity. Huge projector screens placed outside the venue relayed the event live to the gathering crowd on Gandhi Bazaar road. “The audience got so engrossed in the performance that during the curtain call, they sang Kannadave satya, Kannadave nitya along with the performers. It was an unforgettable experience,” says Mangala.

Mohan gets to tell his story

While Mangala explored the curious intersection of art and food, the Klatsch collective put the spotlight on the 106-year-old Mohan building in Chikpet, a crowded area that houses several commercial establishments and issimply known as ‘market area’ in city circles. “Klatsch is a German word meaning people coming together to do something,” explains Shaunak Mahbubani, a member of the group. “The Mohan building had an eerie quality to it and, through a series of 22 installations, we wanted to bring alive its story, the people who walked in it and the memories lodged inside.”

Over a period of three months, the motley group of 15 collaborated for Project 560, creating interactive installations. There was a guided tour through which people can get to know ‘Mohan’ better. “We did a lot of research on the building and, while we remained true to the characters we came across, we also fictionalised some finer details,” says Mahbubani. For example, the team visualised the building as an old man called ‘Mohan’, who narrates his emotional and physical journey over the years.

The building had originally been a family’s home and named ‘Ahmed’. It later got a different name and continued to change in its functions. It was home to Bombay Anand Bhavan, later a police station and then a bunch of shops. Klatsch published a newspaper about the building’s ‘good old days’, narrating Mohan’s life story as seen through his eyes and the eyes of five characters who lived there.

Recounting the positive response, Mahbubani says, “There was a stunning turnout from the people in that area. They had been seeing us visiting the building for three months and were curious to see our work. People would visit us one day and then, later, bring their friends and acquaintances, too. Some of them became so familiar with the installations that they began to give the tour to the guests.”

Mohan building is popular only in its immediate vicinity, but it evoked enormous interest. Using the subject of metamorphosis of a building, it tapped into the universal feeling of nostalgia and the inevitable changes that happen in a city, or in life itself.

Eclectic performances

The heterogeneity in the different projects is impressive. They cover a gamut of artistic expressions such as theatre, dance, music, poetry recitation, installations, curated walks and more. Also, they cater to a variety of audiences. The Mohan building project had a strong geographical context, attracting locals from around the Bengaluru Pete area. The Vidyarthi Bhavan project appealed to a wider cross-section of people, some of whom came in to know more about the restaurant and some to understand its influence on Kannada literature.

While S Ramanatha’s performance on theatre legend BV Karanth attracted people from Kannada theatre and literature, Archana Prasad’s ‘Malleswaram calling’ got an overwhelming reception from vegetable vendors, rickshaw-wallahs and pedestrians. Prasad installed a telephone booth-like structure under the Yeshwantpur flyover that functioned as a story-telling machine. Anyone could simply walk in, pick up the phone and hear recordings of residents sharing their stories on the transformation of Malleswaram. Curious passers-by walked in and enjoyed this opportunity to get an insight into the place.

Prathibha Nandakumar’s ‘Ondu Lessu Ondu Plussu’ was set in Coffee House, with a dramatised enactment and recitation of her avant-garde poems that explore difficult subjects such as death, lesbianism and hypocrisy.

Dimple Shah took the concept to the streets, stationing herself in six different locations over a period of three months.

She chose spots such as National College, Ramakrishna Ashram and Bull Temple, targeting diverse age groups. Shah recalls this incident, “One gentleman recited a Sanskrit shloka on the spot, urging citizens to be well-informed and make intelligent decisions. It was elections time, and it was amazing to see how he performed something so relevant, spontaneously.”

One step closer to understanding

Bengaluru has been going through a transformation. What was once called a garden city is now dominated by brick structures that challenge the skyline. What was once a land where people spoke only one language predominantly has now turned into a collage of people from different cultures, speaking different languages. The individual is trying to fit in but is unsure about what he should be fitting into. It is a city that seems to belong to everyone, and to no one.

“People really need something like Project 560, as it is a wonderful opportunity to cut across barriers and engage with the multiple Bengalurus within the city,” says Chandrasekhar. By taking art directly to people from multiple segments of life, Project 560 is bringing Bengaluru residents one step closer to understanding and cherishing it.

Link to the article - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/watch/project-560-word-on-the-street/article8916129.ece

Dimple B Shah
2016

Meet Venkattappa (15 hour Live performance) A video interview by Asif Khan and team from NewsIndia

Meet Venkattappa (15 hours durational Live Performance in Venkattappa Art Gallery and in around Cubborn park MG road  for 3 days 9 ,10  and 11th May 2016) Thanks you  for a video interview Team Asif Khan  from  News India

Meet Venkattappa Article in Kannada Prabha

Mapping Paradigm Shift

Performance in Paris, at Le Senetle

As I see question of women's position in the society is always in flux, that keeps oscillating between how and what a women should be doing and behave in the society. Mapping Paradigm Shift is about mapping oscillating thought process of mind. Thought process that are in flux, and the dichotomy of role of Body and mind of women.

Every country (society) has drawn a border line for role of women in the Society. Some have given liberty but some have less liberty but the role is always defined within a frame. Be it from social liberty to very existence as an important and integral part of the constant developing society. There is a constant debate on where to draw line of control, what women can do or deserve; each country has its own set of rules, and what is permitted being a women. 

Through this performance I made an attempt to map the shifts like Thoughts, Belief, Theories and Rights. The performance was perceived on both levels personal and as an observer. The oscillation from purity to impurity, mind and body, spiritual and material, right and wrong, the performance was worked out on these trajectories, confronting the realities that I experienced and also what audience can recollect at that moment. This performance complete with the intervention of the audiences.

Dimple B Shah

2015

Reverberating Earth

Durational Performance at DER LÄNGSTE TAG / THE LONGEST DAY, Zürich, Switzerland, 21st June 2015.

I had conceived this performance keeping in mind Switzerland, the land of beauty and Nature. I had seen Switzerland in pictures, movie and photographs and had fascination about this beautiful land. My perception was like it is heaven and I wanted to respond to this in my work. Having said that I didn’t wanted to forget where I came from and cultural aspect of my country, my feet fully rooted in my culture and my mind thinking of Switzerland, resonating earth. Metaphorically match with resonance of earth by an act of making PAPAD (round shaped snack, using the act of making the shape as representing earth in the form of drawing).

The idea was to have a long durational performance from morning till evening but attention can be given to me in the evening between 4 pm to 5pm. The PAPAD making is sign of empowerment and self reliance for women in South Asian counties such as India, Pakistan Bangladesh etc., and it is one of the most successful businesses for women coming from poor economic background. I made metaphoric connection to the act of rolling and making PAPAD to vibrating and frequency of earth and ultimately saluting the great land of peace and harmony and also by performing through my body doing PRADAKSHINA (refers to Circumambulation of sacred place) on ground thereby symbolically connecting my body to frequency of the Earth.

Dimple B Shah

2015

Karmic Connection III

Performance at Leonrod-Haus für Kunst und Gelände Dachauer/Schwere-Reiter-Strasse am Leonrodplatz. 114 München. 6th June 2015.

Establishing connection with my audience through an act of "KARMA" (doing) was the whole idea of this performance. This performance highlights the hidden connections. We as human, constantly perform everyday activity and meet people in everyday life, some relations end being close and some at distance, this is automatically build up through our karmic connection and these connections are built with our act and in this process our relationship with other humans is established knowingly and unknowingly. For me it is a matter of personal importance, like whom I meet and how my relation is established with people whom I meet in my life.

I feel definitely there is previous association which I need to realize now and this performance will be an act to reach each and every human whom I meet. Each and every human holds a great importance and they are strongly connected to me. This performance explored how we connect our self to others (Audiences). This performance was an attempt to build bond through the process of interaction one to one in time and space, although my audience comes from different origin, roots, environments, spaces and experience, during the performance we experienced a moment of time and space together and through object as my tool helped them to look into past, present and future, in that moment we are built our bonds and we all recollected our memories of the past and remember in future. 

The audience could make a choice of kind of connection they have with me, spiritual or material through choice of material offered to them to touch. Performance was enhanced with audio and other material to get the impact and created a meditative environment.

Dimple B Shah
2015