13-19 December, 2023
Curatorial Intensive South Asia 2023
a matter of time
Ten exhibitions 1. inordinate skies by Pramodha Weerasekera
Present systems render beings into flattened hierarchies, constantly seeking singular narratives. What happens when these systems cannot encompass the spillages of the past?
2.
a matter of time attempts historiographies of the present. We draw upon varying absences through the lenses of religious didacticism and food, sustenance and survival, politics of the skin, histories of measurement and mapping, familial relations and incomplete archival materials. The ten exhibitions take the form of a concoction or a recipe, held together through conversations, convergences, departures, and breathing in time and space that we claim as common.
5.
/ The Rooting Nails by Jaisingh Nageswaran
3. Somethings in the Belly by Bunu Dhungana 4. x, y, and in-between by Snehal Morey / यह ख़ूबसूरत जगह / this beautiful place by Jatin Gulati
6. Dāva / Davaa: Claim / Medicine by Sukanya Deb 7. block prints, dot screens, and the technicolor worlds of Tek Bir Mukhiya by Bishal Yonjan 8. Halal halāhala: The rules of being full by Atefeh Khas 9. Composite Utterances by Umair Badheeu 10. Healing: The Journey by Neda Haffari
Curatorial Intensive South Asia (CISA) is an initiative of Khoj International Artists’ Association and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan for young curators from South Asia. It is a fully-funded fellowship programme in the field of curatorial practices relevant to South Asia in the visual arts. The programme aims to develop a diversity of perspectives on the medium of the exhibition and to provide a structured and an experimental inquiry into the possibilities of curatorial practice today.
The exhibition takes place at Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi from 13- 19 December, 2023 .
Public Programmes and Gatherings Opening performances 12 December Tuesday, 7–8pm at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, IIC
Unspeakable Things in the Belly: a performance by Ujjwala Maharjan As part of Somethings in the Belly curated by Bunu Dhungana, 7 pm The Blank Page: a performance by Fabienne Francotte As part of Healing: The Journey curated by Neda Haffari, 7:30 pm More Skies, as part of inordinate skies curated by Pramodha Weerasekera
threading skies: Sewing Circles with Sabeen Omar 16 December Saturday, 11.30am–1pm and 2.30–4pm at the IIC verandah Screening of the film to see the sun at midnight / loving against time (2023) by arshad hakim followed by the artist in conversation with Pramodha Weerasekera 18 December Monday, at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi 3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110-001 As part of x, y and in-between curated by Snehal Morey
Online Panel Discussion with Prof Nandini Sundar, Thiago Pinto Barbosa and Urmila Deshpande 15 December Friday, 6–7 pm Drafting Difficult Accounts: Writing Workshop with Dr Brahma Prakash 17 December Sunday, 11 am–2 pm, Lodhi Gardens Free and open to anyone 16+ | Only 10 spots available Exhibition Walkthrough Every day from 13 to 19 December, 5pm, Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, IIC As part of Halal halāhala: The rules of being full curated by Atefeh Khas Screening of Five Pieces of Iranian Dishes (2011) by Sepideh Abtahi and Zeinab’s Style (2023) by Payam Rafiee 14 December Thursday, 4.30–6.30 pm at Khoj International Artists’ Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension, New Delhi—110017
inordinate skies
Curated by Pramodha Weerasekera
inordinate skies invites you to be moved. You are encouraged to soak in any emotions you feel as a result of what your senses capture. You may wish to stare, slow your walking pace, sit down, close your eyes, and contemplate why each artwork moves you so. Starting from the curator’s own personal desire to look at the sky in moments of despair, melancholy, and pondering, the artworks in this project mark sometimes significant, sometimes fleeting yet memorable skies. The three artists’ relationships with such skies are metaphorical and intricately detailed—they reflect on the emotional impact of the presence(s) and absence(s) of skies amidst their individual urban, busy lives in the cities of Colombo, Bangalore, and Brooklyn (with the project being primarily produced in Delhi). featuring artists: sabeen omar arshad hakim aruni dharmakirthi
inordinate skies has three curatorial ‘interventions’: an exhibition from 12–19 December 2023 held at India International Centre, New Delhi; a publication with a curatorial essay, and a commissioned piece by each artist, and more skies, a series of public programmes. Copyedited by rasudula dissanayake Exhibition design by arundika weerasekera and shahdia jamaldeen Identity design by raeesah samsudeen
Pramodha Weerasekera is a curator, writer, and (reluctant) lawyer based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She has an interdisciplinary educational and professional background in literary studies, visual cultures, and law. Her interests revolve around gender, emotion, visual cultures, and literary theories. Pramodha has been curating educational and public programming initiatives at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka since 2019.
sabeen omar tiger balm I fragments of clothes, embroidery, beads, crochet and handkercief 2016
arshad hakim to see the sun at midnight/ loving against time digital film with sound 28 mins 34 secs This film was made possible through the support of the Generator Cooperative Art Production Fund, 2021–22
arshad hakim ghost rhythms (series of 15) digital print, gouache, gold ink, and gold vinyl on paper 3, 5 and 8 courtesy of the Ark Foundation for the Arts 2022
sabeen omar memory that grows into a shape gouache, ink, oil pastel, coloured pencil, graphite, embroidery, crochet, pigment, handkerchief, chalk gesso 2022
aruni dharmakirthi dreaming of somewhere else acrylic on paper 2021
more skies
threading skies: Sewing circles with sabeen omar 16 december saturday, 11.30am–1pm and 2.30–4pm at the IIC lawn [Scan for registration or via https://forms.gle/jw96zYnXpr11AveBA ] screening of the film to see the sun at midnight / loving against time by arshad hakim followed by the artist in conversation with pramodha weerasekera 16 december saturday, 6–8pm at the FICA reading room, F-213/E, Second Floor, Old MB Road, Lado Sarai, New Delhi: 110030 The publication inordinate skies accompany the exhibition. Limited copies will be distributed for free during the exhibition until 19 December. If you would like to access a copy afterward, please email wpramodha@gmail.com with details including your shipping address.
The Rooting Nails
Curated by Jaisingh Nageswaran
Those nails that break, split, get covered in toil’s dirt, bear scars and eventually shred, regrow as new lives, spreading their roots to emerge as a luscious, mighty tree.
Iyothee Thass’ definition of the Dalit identity in 1907, in ‘Oru Paisa Tamilan’, was in direct conflict to how the Adi Dravidar Dalit identity had been historically framed by the upper caste, colonial, imperial gaze / narrative in India. Dalits have pioneered the anti-caste movement in Tamil Nadu ever since. Over the years, Dalit writers in Tamil Nadu have found ways to narrate their authentic and dignified stories in distinct dialects through poetry and prose. Our lives have always been entwined with art. We turned to the beats of the Parai to keep time and to hold space for one another, making our presence—a sign of resilience. Photography as an art form was introduced to Chennai in 1857 by The Photographic Society of Madras( PSM), which was founded by Dr. Alexander Hunter—the driving force behind what eventually became the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. The college has since held a vast number of Dalit students.
Among them was artist Chandru, who went on to spearhead the college in its later years and led a remarkable Dalit Art Movement in Tamil Nadu. Drawn to Chandru’s work which transcended the boundaries of representation, I found my artistic voice within this movement which has nurtured creative practices across the fields of literature, cinema, music and more recently, photography.
Arun Vijai Mathavan Millennia of Oppression
Two decades ago, there was no sign of photography within the Dalit community —very few had access to it as it was an expensive medium but now the digital age has democratized access to the medium considerably. First generation photographers from the community are evolving as self-made artists in recent times. Dalit photographers are now using photography to unfold their politics and question the status quo. Artists across various generations are presenting themselves through their lens. This exhibition follows the legacy of artist Chandru, and features work by emerging artists from the Dalit community in Tamil Nadu. Kritika Sriram examines her relationship with her mother through resonances in Bama’s Karuku. Arun Vijay Madhavan takes us through a day in the life of a mortuary worker. Palani’s work carry the images of the working class people’s footwear. Saran Raj’s sculptural piece depicts the entanglements of honor killings in the state. Osheen imagines new worlds of decolonized dreamscapes, futuristic oasis with mutants and monsters and narratives of queer and feminine power. featuring artists: Arun Vijay Madhavan Chandru Gurusamy Kritika Sriram
Planai Kumar Footwear
Osheen Siva Palani Kumar Saran Raj
Osheen Siva Inflorescence- post human universe rooted in anti caste theory
Somethings in the Belly Krithika Sriram Home
Curated by Bunu Dhungana
Eight artists are responding to the prompt ‘mother.’ The starting point is the sensation of having something in your belly—a feeling in the gut, stomachchurning, expanding and contracting, inhaling and exhaling. Sometimes, in between stillness and unyielding storm. And sometimes in a mundane, regular way. I have felt limited in my inquiry into how patriarchies shape my relationship with my mother. Hence, I was curious how other artists would interpret this word. Over three months, the artists delved into processes rooted in their personal experiences around mothers. This curation is an invitation to tune into our affective landscapes, which are oftentimes considered too feminine, too emotional, too difficult to digest.
Chandru Gurusamy the deadly flood of silence
Jaisingh Nageswaran is a self-taught photographer from Vadipatti, Tamil Nadu, India, exploring themes of gender identity, caste discrimination, and rural life. Educated by his grandmother, born to working-class parents, he focuses on socially marginalized communities. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he turned his lens inward, documenting Dalit resistance and resilience in his hometown. Co-curating the Vaanam Art Festival for two consecutive years(2022 &23 ),he provided insights into the Dalit Landscape. Notably, as the first independent curator in Japan, his ‘The Lodge’ series at the KG+ Kyotography Festival in 2023 showcased his unique perspective.
While I was writing this poem I got a chance to think about my Aama (mother) and I realised that words sometimes fall short but I have poured my heart into it. Asmita Badi
s] afFRg' eg]sf] ;f; km]g‘{ dfq xf]< Is Life but Breath Poem/Audio
featuring artists: Asmita Badi Shradha Devkota Irina Giri Ujjwala Maharjan Tripty Pakhrin Ayushma Regmi Shristi Shrestha Prateebha Tuladhar
The act of writing with a needle and thread is repetitive, rebellious, and laborious where some things are being held by others —much like the unsaid held within me. Like how the thread is being held by the fabric, almost. I engage in this silent repetitiveness without finding the right words to convey. Shradha Devkota I want to say some things Thread on fabric and digital photography print
In this ‘work’, I try to interpret three published poems through sound. I do not yet have the courage to delve directly into my own relationship with my mother-it proves again and again, to be too painful. The poems I use are: Naniji by Itisha Giri, Snow Theory by Ocean Vuong, and Morning Song by Sylvia Plath. Irina Giri The mothers sleves Audio
Pwaa- dhaay majyu khan is the fifth song from my upcoming EP titled Apwoh Misa, which in my mother tongue, Newari, means women who are over the top. It is a series of musical monologues in Newari, English and Nepali about sexual abuse and intimidation women and girls suffer within families/homes, often in silence, and has been inspired by personal stories of family members, friends and former students and poetry workshop participants. Ujjwala Maharjan Unspeakable things in the belly Performance/ Video
My evolving relationship with my mother has propelled me to deconstruct the very idea of the mother, and seek it out in forms of kinship beyond patriarchal setups to include all kinds of others, including the non-human world. Ayushma Regmi Letters to the womb Pen on Paper
Take care is an ongoing body of work that explores the everyday. The paintings are embedded in acts and feelings of love and care, of warmth, and tenderness. It is a personal journal. It is an archive. Take care is a reminder. Shristi Shrestha Take care Gouache on paper
What’s there to say about the process of writing about this woman who birthed me? This work is a set of my mental notes about my mother. If there’s a process involved here, it’s her. Tripty Pakhrin Untitled (Welcome to Hotel Thai) Colour instant print (Polaroid) 7.2cm x 8.6cm
My three parents run a small restaurant, Hotel Thai, together in the eastern border town of Nepal. Hotel Thai is also our home and my family still lives there. My mothers did not exist in each other’s albums. I wasn’t surprised because my mothers don’t talk to each other in spite of living together. Perhaps they could all come together in my private family album.
Prateebha Tuladhar My mother’s silences Short story
‘Unspeakable Things in the Belly,’ a performance by Ujjwala Maharjan. 12th of December 2023 between 7-7.30 pm Bunu Dhungana is an artist based out of Kathmandu, Nepal. She uses photography and film to explore and question the world around her. Her background in Sociology informs her work. She is interested in questioning notions of gender and patriarchy through her practice. Her process is intuitive.
x, y, and in-between
Curated by Snehal Morey
Humanity and ethics are integral aspects of any scientific inquiry; however, the notion of rationality occasionally goes missing. In our quest to understand the markers that distinguish one human from another in a pluralistic society, the primary mechanism of separation involves categorization and setting up hierarchies. As paths intertwine, they guide us in discovering our own intersections. Dr. Irawati Karve (1905-1970), on one hand, boldly challenged prevailing notions of racial distinctions in measured skulls in Berlin, Germany, diverging from the perspectives of most anthropologists of her time. On the other hand, her anthropometric studies in Maharashtra, India, played a crucial role in defining and categorizing racial attributes within various Indian social strata, including castes, sub-castes, tribes, and religious communities. Almost simultaneously, in 1930, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (1893-1972) introduced a statistical measure to analyze the Anglo-Indian population in Calcutta, referring to the data demonstrating details of physical attribution presented by Herbert Risley, then Census Officer at the British Raj. Risley, as we know, studied Indian communities based on ideas that are now considered to constitute scientific racism. Mahalanobis Distance, a matrix proven to be accurate at analyzing multivariate data sets, is seen to be in service of anthropological endeavors of following classifications. In 1947, the year when India received independence from British rule and when Dr. Karve gave the Presidential Address to the section of anthropology and archaeology at the Indian Science Congress, exactly in the same year, published ‘Anthropometric Measurements of the Marathas’, presenting details of physical attributes of this particular caste of mixed origin, the title of which is coined by the British. featuring artists Abhishek Hazra Sharbendu De Shukla Sawant Yogesh Barve
Mahalanobis developed a photographic profiloscope, an instrument that enabled accurate determination of people’s racial identities focusing on their facial features. He was also one of the members of the first Planning Commission of free India. On one hand, the new nation-state was aspirational, flaunting its unity in diversity, and on the other hand, we observe that these important figures were busy serving towards defining the markers for categorization. Disciplines and thoughts evolve over time, often leaving behind old parameters. With the acknowledgment that racial science is a pseudo-scientific inquiry, lingering questions arise. How should one proceed when even scientific inquiries lack rationality? How can the gaps in investigation be processed? How can one navigate distinctions made by birth, where asymmetries are apparent? Why is there eagerness to measure differences over similarities between us? And what role do these speculations play in approaching the ideas of identity and defining our role as citizens? ‘x, y, and in-between’ is indeed the very first phase of investigation. The newly conceived artworks, on most occasions, are propositions in progress, drafted in response to texts, survey reports, photographic archives, and news reports.
Public Programming ONLINE PANEL DISCUSSION Prof Nandini Sundar, Thiago Pinto Barbosa & Urmila Deshpande Fri, Dec 15, 2023 | 6 pm - 8 pm Registration: snehalmorey112@gmail.com WRITING WORKSHOP Drafting Difficult Accounts with Dr Brahma Prakash Sun, Dec 17, 2023 | 11 am - 2 pm Free and open to 16+ | Only 10 spots available Registration: snehalmorey112@gmail.com EXHIBITION WALK-THROUGH Open to all | Dec 13 - 19, 2023, at 5 pm
यह ख़ूबसूरत जगह
this beautiful place
Curated by Jatin Gulati
What shapes distance? In what forms are things kept apart? With the earth and sky being increasingly fragmented, claimed, capitalised and reproduced, we find ourselves existing between many versions of the same world. We meet worlds of disillusionment—a dawn abruptly separated from the night, and one of hope—of the dawn that still awaits. From here, we observe unenclosed enclosures and absent presences embodied within one space. Isolating us are the grand edifices of the physical and the abyss of the virtual, yet often penetrated. Their seemingly immovable mass challenged by everyday musings. With one Multan parted as a geographical footing, others metamorphise through a series of intergenerational longings. In these transient flights, pieced together are places we often call home. Details, Nasal Index Dwarapalaka [Can Mahalanobis Statistics help automate the prophylactic detention of outliers in the data set?], Abhishek Hazra, 2023
Snehal Morey is a museum professional. She has been working as a Curatorial Associate at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum since 2016. She coordinates the PG Diploma in Modern and Contemporary Indian Art and Curatorial Studies offered by the museum and designs and conducts education and outreach activities in both English and Marathi. Snehal graduated in Fine Arts, specializing in Sculpture, from the Sir J J School of Arts in 2011 and in Statistics, from B. N. Bandodkar College of Science in 2007. She completed the International Curatorial Program offered by NODE, Germany in 2023. She previously served as a news anchor with ABP Maza and a freelance announcer with Asmita, All India Radio.
featuring artists: Sofia Karim (Liverpool / London) Bani Abidi (Karachi / Berlin) Bharath Murthy (Bengaluru) Rajat Dey (Kolkata) Joe Paul Cyriac (Trivandrum) Jatin Gulati is a writer and visual artist with a formal education in architecture. His works are informed by various aspects of ‘absences’, though most often driven by its traces in the immediate, personal, and lived experiences. He graduated from Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, and his interest in thinking photography stems from questioning the role of images as myth-making for socio-political and familial ideologies. His work incorporates mediums such as photographs, archives, text, architectural drawings and virtual environment.
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Text about the works - courtesy of the artists
Dāva / Davaa Claim / Medicine
Curated by Sukanya Deb
We have extended human vision to the point of being able to see the whole of our world all at once, according to Ana Paraica’s formulation of the ‘total image’. With the development of imaging technology, our eyes have left our bodies and lie within the lens of the camera, the satellite, the closed-circuit television. We see the image before we see the world. Our uncanny present bears a resemblance to our felt reality, and yet we see the flattening of land into data, losing our memory of the urgent real. India is developing National Digital Twins of major cities by the year 2030 through intensive accumulation of satellite imagery and geospatial data, according to the National Geospatial Policy 2022. The Digital Twin is described as a virtual replica of a “physical asset” that will facilitate “better decision-making”. Resolution is turned into a language claiming accuracy, where the machinic image becomes infallible. Where does the claim to territory lie, with the state or with the citizen? At the centre of this exhibitory proposition is the idea of the ‘claim’ and the slippages between abstracted and projected reality. What are the maps being redrawn; what internal and border conflicts are currently underway? Technological savvy seeks high resolution imagery to quantify claims of land and ocean, where sub-surface infrastructures intervene. Yet, what lies in the call to the uncanny via the Digital Twin, where breakages occur in the cohesive image form? featuring artists: Akshay Sethi Joe Paul Cyriac Nihaal Faizal Suvani Suri Vshpag (Vrinda Singh) Zishaan A Latif
Zishaan A Latif From the series Withering, Google Earth Maps + photographs 2018 Chapter Produced with the IHC Photosphere grant 2018/19
Joe Paul Cyriac From the series Abyss Photograph 2020-21
Nihaal Faizal Horizontally Flipped Andromeda Galaxy (2015) Jpeg image 3200 x 2000 px Courtesy of the artist and Chatterjee & Lal Gallery
Sukanya Deb is a writer and curator, working at the intersections of contemporary art, (digital) culture, and media studies. Since 2018, she has worked in programmes and curation within the arts sector in India. A point of convergence for her research and work is investigating images, ideas around technological surplus/ excess and its imaginary, and assemblages of power. Her writing has been featured in STIRworld, ASAP | Art, e-flux Education, The Quietus, Serendipity Art Foundation’s Write | Art | Connect, amongst others.
block prints, dot screens, and the technicolor worlds of Tek Bir Mukhiya Curated by Bishal Yonjan This exhibition is part of an ongoing research into the intersection of technical acumen and artistic labor that shapes book cover design and printed matter. Connecting dots to line, scaling, graphing, and situating an archive-in-making to understand the vocabulary of Tek Bir Mukhiya, who defined the visual contours of many of Nepal’s seminal 20th century modern literary works. Born in Kurseong in 1938, Mukhiya spent his formative years in Calcutta, engaging in various jobs like designing movie posters and creating typographic elements for packaging. As a self-taught artist, this early experience would significantly influence his later visual practice.
featuring artists: Tek Bir Mukhiya
Bikram ra naulo graha Ramesh Bikal Sajha Prakashan 1982
Book covers desiged by Tek Bir Mukhiya for writers like Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Parijat, Indra Bahadur Rai, Bijaya Malla, and Dhurbachandra Gautam.
During the Rana era in Nepal, there was restricted access to printing technology and limited freedom for independent writing. To bypass government regulations, numerous intellectuals in exile began publishing from Bengal as well as Varanasi and Gorakhpur. It wasn’t until the 1950s, with Nepal’s growing connectivity to the outside world, that publishing saw liberalization. This period, akin to Mukhiya’s life trajectory, prompted the migration of numerous artists, writers, and musicians from India to Kathmandu, sparking the emergence of the city’s modernist scene and sensibilities. Bhulai bhul ko yathartha Bijaya Malla Nepal Rajkiya Pragya- Pratisthan 1984
Layers of the book cover Bikram ra naulo graha
Shortly after arriving in Kathmandu around 1965, Mukhiya joined Sajha Prakashan as its chief artist. From the 1960s until the early 2000s, it is estimated that he created thousands of book covers for the publication. This era also marked a period of experimentation in Nepali prose and poetry, including the Tesro Aayam movement that prompted a shift from realist description and embraced themes such as diasporic estrangement. The surge in publication, facilitated by mass printing and distribution coupled with a ravenous readership for modern literary texts, meant that Mukhiya had to adapt to a grueling demand of churning out artworks almost overnight.
Paralleling the assortment of texts he encountered, Mukhiya would often experiment with techniques such as wood cuts, block prints, and zinc plates amidst the astute use of bichromatic colors, expert composition, and striking typography. His designs ended up adorning the front covers of books authored by literary stalwarts like Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Bhupi Sherchan, Parijat, and Indra Bahadur Rai to name a few. Yet even after more than three decades of labor, his contributions remain inconspicuous in comparison to the literature they complement. The decline of Sajha as an institution, the artist’s struggle with Dementia, and the absence of institutional support to document this history make it challenging to string together a cohesive narrative. Despite the thinness of archival materials, the kaleidoscopic creations presented here undeniably stand as a testament to the indelible mark Tek Bir Mukhiya has made on the visual and print culture of South Asia.
Details: zinc blocks, normatone sheet and draft book cover illustrations from the collection of Tek Bir Mukhiya and Ashok Man Singh
Bishal Yonjan is a visual artist based out of Kathmandu. He is a part of Kalā Kulo, an arts initiative, where he works on a series of archives contextualizing the contributions of artists who have been central to introducing novel artistic vocabularies to Nepal in the 20th century. Professionally, he has been involved in exhibition design, installation, and programming, including for Kathmandu Triennale 2077 and the recent retrospective of Ragini Upadhaya. His current interest includes exploring the regional histories of printed matter and book design in South Asia. He is also a member of Aṅkūra Atelier, a creative collective.
Halal halāhala
The rules of being full
Curated by Atefeh Khas
Put the yellow split peas in a small pot with water and bring to a gentle boil. Food is an invitation to see and eat, the participation of bodies. Once the yellow split peas start boiling, partially cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat. Body as material. Sauté the onions in oil in a large pot over medium heat for 15 minutes. Food as a material. Add turmeric and sauté for additional two minutes. The onions should be golden in color. Material and body as food. Add the pieces of beef to the onions and increase the flame to medium-high. Food preserves the histories of materials and bodies. Continue sautéing by adding tomato paste for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Are we allowed to show any food? Add a cup of water, cover, and cook for 45 minutes over low heat. What is the relationship between sweet food, sadness, and happiness? Continue by adding the Limu Omani, salt, pepper, Advieh, and sugar to the stew. What is and is not allowed? Gently stir in the partially cooked yellow split peas, and continue to simmer over low heat. What is and is not respectable? While the meat is cooking, toss in the potatoes with oil, salt, and turmeric. We are prejudiced about food and religion. Place the potatoes in an oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy. The relationship between ethnicity, religion, and food. Check the stew to ensure the meat is fully cooked. We censor food. Food censors us. Add the saffron-water and gently mix with the meat and yellow split peas. Religion makes the rules. The stew should be slightly tart and dense, but not too dry or runny with liquid. Rules make us.
Take the stew off the heat, and allow to settle for 10 minutes. We make the rules of food. Place the stew in a serving bowl and garnish with crispy golden potatoes. Serve with Persian saffron basmati rice Food makes us. Bon Appetit! featuring artists: Mehdi Sadr Amin Shojaei Sahar Mokhtari Minoosh Zomorodinia Sepideh Abtahi Payam Rafiee
Minoosh Zomorodinia A journey with Ai Video generated by AI 2023
Mehdi Sadr GODS’ SUPPER Performance - archive 2018
Public programs Five Pieces of Iranian Dishes Documentary film Director: Sepideh Abtahi / 2011
Zeinab’s style Documentary film Director: Payam Rafiee / 2023
Amin Shojaei Memories of food Living sculpture 2023
Halal is an Arabic word that simply means lawful or permitted food. Halāhala is the name of a type of poison in Hindu mythology.
Sahar Mokhtari Invitaion Photo collage 2023
Atefeh Khas is an interdisciplinary artist and curator lives in Tehran, Iran. She has received several residencies and awards such as the Environmental Art Residency Program in South Korea in 2012, Global Nomadic Art Project in Iran, Germany, France and Turkey in 2016 and 2017, Almaken 2 nd International Contemporary Art Festival in Tunisia in 2016, Kooshk Residency and La Friche la Belle de Mai in 2019. She was the art director of Visual Art Department in Rooberoo Mansion in Tehran and also, art director of 3 Platform in Tehran.
Composite Utterances
Curated by Umair Badheeu
Edition 1. Collection of works created in response to Bernard Koechlin’s life, work and archive.
featuring artists: Ahmed Amir Anastasiia Yakymenko & Kostek Strzelski Mariyam Miusa Mohamed Ikram
“It has a single protagonist (though in every story there are thousands of protagonists, visible and invisible, alive and dead).” The Ethnographer, Jorge Luis Borges Bernard Koechlin was a French mariner and ethnographer (1928-2007), who coined the term “ethnogestics,” which envisions a shared gestural language among the people of the Indian Ocean. Koechelin’s fascination with the Maldives sprouted during his time among the Vezo fishing community of Madagascar. It was a map of the Indian Ocean, specifically the atolls of the Maldives suspended in a vast expanse that captivated him.
Ahmed Amir Boat Passing Intergenerational Exchange Digital collage 2023
Driven by a desire to learn the Maldivian language and carve a niche within ethnolinguistics, Koechelin moved to the Maldives in the 1970s. Living amongst the Maldivians, navigating on boats that traversed between the capital, Malé, and various destinations carrying goods, Koechelin documented a distinct seafaring culture. His archive offers glimpses into the situations he engaged in, navigating not just the physical waters but also the nuanced currents of non-verbal sensibilities—interpreting and responding to the environment, sounds, gestures, gazes, expressions, postures, and attire.
Mohamed Ikram Untitled Digital collage 2023
I came across this eclectic collection during a conversation with my friend Maizan Adam Maniku, while engaged in a project centered on preserving the tangible cultural heritage of Fuvahmulah, one of the southernmost islands in the Maldives. Adam received this fascinating assortment of 35mm slides, 8mm video reels, notes, and papers in both French and English from Koechelin’s widow in 2007. I spent several days immersing myself in these materials in Adam’s study, the boxes of slides, prints, and documents transporting me as far back as the 1970s, into a time preceding my own life.
My exploration of Koechelin’s archive takes shape through a collaboration with three artists and an anthropologist. Together we shift the gaze towards him, examining his work through the lens of non-verbal communication. We invite the viewer on a journey that brushes our own cultural roots, pulled along by the silent eloquence of this vision of the past. Our situational definitions of gesture are constructed in broad terms to look beyond the human, animal and elemental divides. In effect, the gestalt nature of a single gesture can be interpreted across generational understandings, biases, and experiences of nature and historicity.
Anastasiia Yakymenko and Kostek Strzelski The Contact Video 2023
Umair Badheeu is an artist, curator and freediver. From 2014 to 2022, Umair served as the Curator at Loama Museum, later rebranded as The Dutch Onion in Raa Maamigili, Maldives. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in the acquisition, conservation, and establishment of the museum’s collections, as well as laying the groundwork and implementing operational procedures. Notably, he excavated two 800-year-old bathing tanks and contributed significantly to the relocation of a traditional wooden house. While maintaining an ardent dedication to the arts, Umair has also pursued his passion for the ocean through freediving, achieving five national freediving records for Maldives.
Healing: The Journey
Curated by Neda Haffari
I was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer in August 2022, a revelation that sent shockwaves not only through me but also my close-knit circle of friends and family. Looking at me, you wouldn’t guess the severity of my condition, but the truth was hard to ignore—I was on the brink of a life-threatening battle, and numerous tests confirmed the gravity of the situation. Survival was no easy feat. Chemotherapy, as many had warned, was a grueling ordeal, and the complete gastrectomy was far from an enjoyable experience. I have dubbed myself a miracle, an alien, a superhero—a work in progress on the path to healing. However, to truly understand my daily struggle, one must recognize the fighter within me. Each of these personas encapsulates my journey. In an effort to shed light on this transformative process, to offer my insights and support to others in similar circumstances, I made the decision to initiate a series of healing-focused exhibitions. The inaugural event, CISA 2023, marks the beginning of this endeavor. This exhibition features the works of five exceptional artists, each contributing their unique perspective on the theme of healing. Among them is Prakash Ranjit, a talented Nepali visual artist and illustrator, whose pieces document his own self-healing journey from a mental health struggle five years ago. I had the privilege of engaging in an in-depth conversation with him, delving into the significance of candidly discussing the healing process. The exhibition also showcases the collaborative efforts of two Nepali multidisciplinary artists, Jupiter Pradhan and Salil Subedi, who present a poignant video installation reflecting Jupiter’s personal struggles while a beloved family member underwent treatment for a critical illness. Their work serves as a powerful reminder of the often overlooked impact of such diagnoses on our closest companions, whose emotional turmoil can be as profound as the patient’s. Additionally, Pratima Takali, another talented visual artist from Nepal, offers an insightful installation underscoring the pivotal role of one’s home as an intimate space in the healing journey. Lastly, Fabienne Francote, a dear friend and esteemed Belgian visual artist, presents a thought-provoking performance during the exhibition’s opening day, emphasizing the meditative aspects of healing as an inherently personal voyage.
featuring artists: Fabienne Francotte Jupiter Pradhan Pratima Thakali Prakash Ranjeet Writing is a holistic experience that involves the body, arm, and hand, fostering gestural imagery and connecting the spiritual with mystery and light. Since 1972, I’ve documented stories, memories, and feelings, creating a manifesto on nomadic life and diverse communities encountered. With 86 diaries, I’ve shaped text like a skeleton, reflecting inner balance and inviting viewers to bridge healing in life. As a visual artist, I employ drawing, painting, sculpture, and embroidery, with my work fundamentally tied to words. I will fill a blank canvas on the floor with words, signs, and marks to convey Neda’s passionate response to a dance with mortality.
Time is an absolute concept. It passes by second to second, and each second brings about transformational changes. Sometimes, seconds feel shorter than expected, and at other times, they seem forever in the healing process. In between these seconds, we experience moments of life that feel real yet surreal. These moments are a whirlpool of emotions and encapsulate the strength we find in adversity and the comforts of empathy. Healing is a complex process that often involves resilience, time, and empathy. These nuances of healing weave together with many personal narratives, creating an abode to release ‘in between seconds.’
Pratima Thakali In between the seconds Textile installation 2023
Fabienne Francotte The blank page Performance 2023
Jupiter Pradhan Faith Beyond Understanding Performance Video 2023
“Faith Beyond Understanding” delves into life’s mysteries and our quest to manage the pressures of time. Amidst personal upheaval in 2022, I faced the loss of my grandmother and my wife’s illness, finding solace in spirituality. The Om sound, an ancient force beyond comprehension, anchored me. In a 12-hour performance, I controlled breath and bodily functions, chanting Om accompanied by the healing tones of the Didgeridoo. Each chant etched the Om symbol, using a gifted bronze token. This piece reflects on resilience through spirituality, revealing strength beyond grasp and the essence of self-restraint. Life’s chaos may be uncontainable, but spiritual beliefs provide steadfast support.
I aimed to use the live drawing sessions to start a conversation on mental health-related topics and use that as a visual narrative. These dialogues kept fueling me to create if possible, feeling like I belong somewhere along with the beautiful people I met. I was not alone and neither were they, we were building a wonderful connection on a subject I would often find hard to talk about.
Prakash Ranjeet Manko Kura (Matter of Hearts) Ink drawing 2019
Neda Haffari is a short story writer and an art curator from Iran, residing in Kathmandu, Nepal since 2013. She was born in 1983 and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. Haffari is currently serving as the Director of Space A, an interdisciplinary art practice in Nepal, while also pursuing a master’s degree in curatorial studies at Kathmandu University Department of Art and Design. In her role as the director, she is responsible for overseeing the organization’s activities and fostering the integration of diverse art forms.
Acknowledgements inordinate skies, Pramodha Weerasekera Annalisa Mansukhani, Ark Foundation for the Arts Vadodara, Ayesha Singh, Christopher Garcia Valle, Denise N. Green, Dumesha Wimalasiri, Emile Molin, Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), Malithi Weeraratna, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka, Sabih Ahmed, Samira Bose, Sarasija Subramanian, Sharmini Pereira, Thilini Perera
/ The Rooting Nails, Jaisingh Nageswaran
Chandru Gurusamy, Sohrab Hura, Alisha Sett , Nayantara Gurung kakshapati, Diwas Raja kC, Pascal Beausse , Bung Dhungana, Marium Rupa ,Alina Tiphagne, karthik Subramaniam, Philipe Calia, Harika Srinivasan and printer Karthik Something in the belly, Bunu Dhungana photo.circle, Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, Diwas Raja KC, Prawin Adhikari, Nasala Chitrakar, Prasiit Sthapit, Samagra Shah, Shikar Bhattarai, Sohrab Hura, Biraj Maharjan, Alok Adhikari x, y, and in-between, Snehal Morey Thiago Pinto Barbosa; Urmila Deshpande; Annu Palakunnathu Matthew; Sarnath Banerjee; Chaitanya Tamhane; Zoo Entertainment; Subhadra Das; Sumeet Samos; Yogesh Maitreya; Radhika Gupta; Sunil Sukathankar; Pratap Morey; Tina Marie Monelyon; Prof Shantanu Ozarkar; Department of Anthropology, Savitribai Phule Pune University; Tasneem Mehta and entire team of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum / यह ख़ूबसूरत जगह / this beautiful place, Jatin Gulati
Aakash Goel, Begum Noor-e-Jahaan, Devangana Dash, Karishma Rai, Nakul Welpac Printers Bengaluru, Digital Work Solutions Delhi, Ustad Dariya-e-Dil Dāva / Davaa: Claim / Medicine, Sukanya Deb Aarushi Surana, Nakul Verma, Ravi Agarwal, Rish, Surbhi Mittal Composite Utterances, Umair Badheeu Maizan Adam Maniku, Mohamed Khayyam, Bernard Koechlin Archive, Ifham Zareer, Xavier Romero-Frias, Mickael Piccard, Alexandre Koechlin, Ifham Zareer
block prints, dot screens, and the technicolor worlds of Tek Bir Mukhiya, Bishal Yonjan Tek Bir Mukhiya Family and collections, Kalā Kulo, Sajha Prakhashan, Ashok Man Singh, Ankurā Atelier, Aakar Kalaghar, Fuzion Digital Press, Samriddh Mukhiya, Priyankar Chand, Dipti Sherchan, Hitman Gurung, Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Subas Tamang, Dipak Lopchan, Bhesh Raj Ghimire, Ganesh Subba, Sushil Adhikari, Surendra Shrestha, Priyanka Singh Maharjan, Shreeti Prajapati, Shyam dai. Halal halāhala: The rules of being full, Atefeh Khas Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), Studio T.P Healing: The Journey, Neda Haffari Sujan chitrakar, Sangeeta Thapa, VeeranganaKumari Solanki, Bidhata KC Mentors Latika Gupta, Shuddhabrata Sengupta Tutors Aastha Chauhan, Ala Younis, Brahma Prakash, Chto Delat, Hoor-al-Qasimi, Jahnavi Phalkey, Leonhard Emmerling, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Preeti Bahadur, Rafiul Alom Rahman, Rahaab Allana, Shai Heredia, Sharmini Pereira, Shrujana N Shridhar, Sneha Raghavan, Sukanya Baskar, Urvashi Butalia Khoj Team Director Pooja Sood Programme Team Manjiri Dube Indranjan Banerjee Gauri P Isha Bhattacharya Media & Production Alina Tiphagne Suresh Pandey
Admin & Accounts V.P. Manoj Laxmi Devi Govind Singh Khoj Canteen Rajesh Gupta Phulmata Karma Oraon
Support Staff Arun Chhetri Pancham Kerketta Fabrication & Production Shakhawat Khan Jitender Singh Sharma Kishanveer Singh Patel Brothers
Khoj is a not-for-profit contemporary arts organization based in New Delhi. Through their programmes they support and incubate emerging, experimental and transdisciplinary creative practices and pedagogies.