NEW DELHI: The arts are an all-embracing facet of our collective coexistence, and therefore, the conversations surrounding it cannot happen in isolation to other fundamental aspects of life, such as science. But very often, the two are sectioned into different boxes, as though they are detached from one and another. In a march off from what we usually see, Pratiksha Jain has united the arts and science in an ongoing effort called Project AMSOE (Art meets science of everything), that she’s the proud founder of.
The obscure demarcation between the arts and science is one that Jain has never understood. To her, both seem to share their origins in innovation and imagination that go beyond their mutual codependency and dynamic nature. “If art is the idea of expression, then science is our attempt to express nature as it reveals herself. Due to the absurd difficulty of a holistic approach, science as a discipline, has been split into workable chunks. Each of these chunks serves as a lens through which the world is perceived, wherein the patterns realised are subjected to rigorous reproducibility,” she says.
Therefore, along with several art oriented sessions, science led programmes have also been included. These include demonstrations for combating Antibiotic-resistant microbes; demonstrations of live cell imaging videos on how amoeba engulfs human cells; talking about the science behind depression et al.
Thrown in the middle of these are puppetry sessions, hula and fire hoop acts, ghazals performances and other such acts, making for an eclectic mix.
There is sonic art, public-interventions, social and ecological justice projects, installations, film, poetry and, music other segments of interest.
Shivangi Ladha, one of the participating artist, brings her body of works exploring the correlation between spaces and perceived spaces. Manju Sharma presents a contemporary dance piece called Trance. Pawas and Kimberley Rodrigues bring music with 3D digital mapping. Imaginary archetypes of identity such as mind structures and value systems resulting from the broader means of sustenance like food, shelter and clothing is the focus of Namrata Chhabria’s work.
Street artist POPA’s graffiti titled Maan ki Baat is a comment on socio-political issues, and Mohan Jangid site specific work called Black and White brings his take on demonetisation. There are several others expressing themselves through this inter-disciplinary show. “Art creates endless possibilities. My story is proof. I have been diligently pursuing performing arts for the past eight years. While pursuing PDGM in Biotechnology, I often pondered about whether I should choose the path of a scientist or an artist. Finally art won the case,” says Jain.
AMSOE will unfold itself at Dhan Mill Compound, one of the few alternate venue that have come up in India. These unconventional spaces are appreciated for their out-of-an-auditorium experience and for being easy on the pocket. “I found auditoriums boring for my concept as I needed to experiment and have the space for it. The day I saw the mill compound, I began setting it up,” says Jain. It’s all taken good shape in the end. Science and the arts have adjusted well with each other, guiding the way for more such collaborations.
On till December 23, from 4 pm to 9 pm, at Dhan Mill Compound in Chattarpur. For details, log on to Amsoe.com Singh