Dastavezi | the Audio-Visual South Asia

Witnessing in Solidarity. Recording the Legacy of Shaheen Bagh through Visual Art

2023-10-06T11:59:12+00:00

This article delves into the transformative power of art and media in shaping narratives of solidarity and resistance within the context of the historic Shaheen Bagh protests that unfolded in New Delhi during the winter of 2019/20. These protests, sparked by the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), witnessed a unique convergence of Muslim women as protest leaders. The gendered perception of the Muslim minority in India was subsequently redefined. The movement also introduced innovative forms of feminist solidarity and non-violent protest strategies, including the use of digital tools for transnational outreach. The article spotlights the artistic endeavors of two young women artists who utilized their creative talents to bear witness to the events and craft testimonials for posterity. Prarthna Singh’s photo book, Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh (2022), and Ita Mehrotra’s graphic novel, Shaheen Bagh: A Graphic Recollection (2021), serve as case studies to investigate the processes of visually mediating the legacy of the Shaheen Bagh movement. Key aspects explored in this inquiry about witnessing and memory-making include the production and mediation of solidarity through art and media, the narratives conveyed by these visual works, prevalent visual tropes within works, the interplay of gender and resistance in their narratives, the new spaces opened up by these artistic interventions, and the positioning and framing of the artists themselves.

Karachi to Mumbai via Bollywood Express

2023-10-09T06:50:24+00:00

As a Pakistani who grew up watching pirated Bollywood cinema, I have an intimate but distant relationship with Mumbai on screen. I have been watching fewer Bollywood films lately and am also starting to forget the narratives of the ones I watched growing up. But I still remember certain details of my mythical Mumbai, as constructed by the Hindi films I consumed as a child and teenager. In my video Karachi to Mumbai via Bollywood Express (2023), I use Hindi film imagery of Mumbai’s local railways as a means of transportation to this mythical city. The video is a comment on my relationship with this city, its trains, and the films that feature them. Intended to be played as a loop, much like imagery being replayed in one’s mind, the video makes use of fragmented, glitchy footage from Saathiya (“Companion,” Ali 2002) and Ek Chalis Ki Last Local (“The Last Local of 1:40,” Khanduri 2007), two films that feature the city and its railway system. In this essay, I reflect on the process of making the video loop and build on scholarship and works that explore how films depict and construct spaces, how they bypass bans and barriers, how they travel and transport viewers, and how they are remembered and forgotten.

Siddha Photography. Making the Invisible Visible in Siddha Pharmacology

2023-11-06T10:36:13+00:00

This photo essay explores the intricate practices of Siddha pharmacology in Tamil Nadu, India, as documented during field research conducted at the Puttu Maharishi Ashram in Vellore. The essay also examines the role of photography as a research tool, one that is used here to capture moments and processes in Siddha medicine that extend beyond the reach of textual description. The focus is directed toward two significant practices: Pudam, a detailed calcination process integral to medicine making, and Velvi, a full moon fire ritual symbolizing the spiritual dimension of Siddha practice. These practices serve as vital components in the construction and expression of the Siddha medical tradition, highlighting the unique interplay between material and spiritual elements. The photo essay serves as a window into the world of Siddha pharmacology, allowing for an immersive experience of its aesthetic and transformative aspects. Photography is employed not merely as a documentary tool but as a medium for intersubjectivity, inviting readers to engage with the subtle intricacies of this ancient healing tradition. The essay aims to render the invisible spiritual dimensions of Siddha medicine visible.

Himalayan Youth Resist through Art: Debunking “Development” in Kinnaur

2023-12-16T04:18:30+00:00

This photo essay outlines our reflections on the role of art as a means of protest and, in particular, as an expression of the identity struggle that drives resistance. “Artivism” as a form of protest seems to be (re)gaining traction, especially in youth mobilizations worldwide. Our case study is from the Kinnaur district in the western Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Launched as a mobilization against the negative impacts of hydropower projects in the region, the No Means No campaign is likely on its way to becoming a broader socioecological movement that confronts the adversities of state-led development policies and mobilizes cultural identity in creative ways. Art in various forms, from paintings and rock graffiti to poems and songs, plays a significant role. Against the backdrop of current debates on environmentalism, identity politics, and political aesthetics, the primary aim of this essay is to situate the selected artifacts in relation to the campaign and give their creators a voice—or an image.

Seduction of the old City of Srinagar: An Enquiry into Competing Narratives of Belonging

2023-12-16T04:13:20+00:00

This essay explores the various narratives of belonging vis-a-vis the city of Srinagar. As the city witnesses massive transformations politically and socially, the interplay between space and power acquires new forms. In this essay, I map this interplay through the elite narrative, the porno-tropic narrative, and the localist narrative to the city.

Khuddur Yātrā: a Symphonic Poem of Texts and Images

2023-11-23T10:32:31+00:00

This essay offers an analysis of text-image relations in Abanindranath Tagore’s often overlooked work, Khuddur yātrā. The work is an experimental yātrā-play for children based on the Rāmāyaṇa, and was published in facsimile for the first time in 2009. The manuscript is illustrated with cutouts from newspapers, periodicals, and product wraps, creating a diverse visual landscape. The text of the play, equally complex, weaves together traditional Rāmāyaṇa heroes with new characters, while employing a multitude of languages and dialects. After providing a detailed overview of the work and categorizing text-image relations within it, this essay focuses on the single most complex and experimental one among those. Following Bachtin, who proposed to analyze literary work by using the musical concept of polyphony metaphorically, the author argues that the concept of symphonic poems provides the best way to approach the complexity of text-image congruencies in this work. Additionally, the essay explores some the thematic and visual connections between Abanindranath Tagore’s Khuddur yātrā and the broader landscape of Bengali children’s literature in the early 20th century. Upon closer examination, Khuddur yātrā emerges as a dynamic and layered artistic creation that challenges the viewer to construct new meanings when navigating the complex interplay of text and images. The text and images within the narrative perform various simultaneous functions, thereby encouraging both children and adults to construct, deconstruct, interpret, and reassess the surrounding reality. Abanindranath’s playful use of signs, symbols, and language reveals the intricate interconnectedness of the world, prompting viewers to recognize its complex and intertwined nature.