when you talk about investigating ‘misrepresentations of cultural practices in contemporary art’ can you be more precise? and are you really questioning it by recreating another (mis)representation in a gallery-set lagna? and is questioning it enough? how will it be engaging and go beyond the obvious?
Eline one can often see frugalities of open-ended interpretations of Indian culture in many international projects that often offer an extremely unreal/ romantic image of India outside the country. For example: A. R. Rehman’s Musical “Bombay Dreams”, some other recent crossover films like American Chai, American Desi and The Guru. Through London Lagna, I would like to address the fact that when works of art or cultural practices are placed outside their origin, region, locale, nationality or cultural origin, they often loose their meaning and significance. But in essence what remains at the end of a ceremony is merely a ritual. A brief example of translating the mantras-
Sanskrit - Maangalyam thanthunaanaena mama jeevitha haethunaa / kanttae bathnaami supahae sanjeeva sarasa satham:
Translation - “This yellow rope is managala suthram ( a necklace which symbolises that a woman is married). This will help my longevity. I shall now tie this rope in your neck. I pray you live happily for a hundred years.”
Yes Eline I am questioning it by recreating another (mis)representation in a gallery by using humor/sattire. I believe that one of the ways to talk/critique any system is by being a part of it and by opening oneself or ones work to crticism. Its something like saying dont east sugar its bad for you but i could also show eating sugar is bad for you by consuming large quantities of sugar. Living in USA, I came across most ridiculous practises like power yoga!!! or cross over dance forms here in London, where by the dancer/ performers have bare minimum knowledge of traditional Indian forms such as Kathank or Bharatnatyam and they are merging them with Ballet. Often little knowledge or insufficient knowledge of other cultures in the name of cross over cinema, artforms, end up at times diluting art forms, at times recreating them into some other form and at other times end up being gibberish.
