An exhibition showcasing artworks by participants in Dharti Art Residency launched on Friday. These artists were in residency from May to August. The mixed-media installations, sound and performance art, included in the show, are on their early stages of completion. The developed works will be exhibited at Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa from December 15 to December 22.
The artists in the residency have tried to bring in a freshness with their ideas. Curator and sound therapist from Mumbai, Farah Mullah, has brought sound-based installations to the show. Her work explores the effect of sound on human neurology and thoughts. Guwahati-based artist Dharmendra Prasad has centred his art around farmers and artisans. His thought-provoking installations address a number of issues faced by rural communities in India. Artist Shazia Salam from Bengaluru question the subject of identity in a post-colonial world by sculptures and installations. Delhi-based Kashmiri artist Khursheed Ahmad used mixed-media to explore his personal take on the idea of relics.
“In Kashmir, we have lots of shrines from various faiths. My attempt was to answer what a relic means for me. There are a lot of narratives interwoven in the work depicting struggles of people in Kashmir. In a metaphorical sense, people themselves become a relic in my work,” said Ahmad during a conversation with The Morning Standard.
Among a total of 200 applicants, these four artists were chosen by art researchers and artists, such as Hanif Qureshi, Premjish Achari and Samit Das. According to Das, the most distinctive trait of the selected artists was their focus.
“They had a steady resolve and were in no hurry to achieve completeness. I must appreciate the cultivation of artistic minds. Dharti Residency is a platform where they can excavate more to their thought process. This is very much needed for the younger generations.”
Meanwhile, Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival said, “The selected artists have an enriching experience as they go through many critique sessions. The residency also takes them to several gallery, museum, studio visits, in addition to organising artist talks and presentations. Our attempt was to make the residency a source for productivity for emerging artists and help them find inspiration from all that Delhi can offer to them.”
More narratives will be added to the exhibits by the artists after reviewing viewers’ responses.
For its third edition, Dharti Arts Residency invited an in-house critic and residency programmer, Samira Bose who has documented the progress of artists extensively while moderating the programme schedule.
“It was a very immersive and intensive process,” she said.
“It was a great opportunity as I had access to the practice of artists closely for a good three months. I learnt a lot about them as I engaged with them very directly. Here my role was spread across various levels, from planning the workshops to having critiquing sessions with the artists. All of us in the residency spoke with many senior artists and were excited to see them working in their respective studios. This residency is a lot about sharing and listening and not just about developing your own individual practice,” added Bose.
At: C 340, Defence Colony, New Delhi
Till: August 23