‘Notes on Astaticism’ puts forth an oft-shifting social and political ground

A new solo at the New Delhi’s Vadehra Art Gallery, entitled ‘Notes on Astaticism’, features unconventional works spread over three floors of the venue by Praneet Soi.

An accompanying note to the exhibition mentions: “Astaticism suggests rupture on the one hand and on the other hand it paves a way for emancipation. The word astatic is derived from Greek 'astatos' that literally means unstable; something that has lost its presupposed equilibrium and can no longer sustain a fixed position.

‘Notes on Astaticism’ is a part of an ongoing visual research project in which Soi proposes a constantly shifting social and political ground that defies easy pigeonholing. The works are strategically displayed on all the three floors to allow the viewer a entry into this proposition.

The ground floor consists of three rooms; in room no.1 a series of four paintings are put in relation, the paintings are monochromatic, formally constructed, and pertaining to different scales of representation. In the next room, a large painting is created on a specially prepared wooden surface. Third room functions as the archival space. This consists of a collection of images that are found, constructed, drawn, fragmented and collaged, a process that forms the backbone of the artists practice.

The First floor comprises of one large and a small room, images from Kumartuli Printer and the photographic work ‘Okhla Mandi’ are exhibited in the large room (no.4) whilst the small room (no.5) is used for the projection of the Kumartuli Printer slide-show. The Second floor (room no.6) is used for developing a project that involves two mobile 'astatic machines', through which the public can actively participate and enter into a dialogue within the artistic process.

Here images from the archive are made available to the audience public in order to overlap, impair, project, outline, blur and finally render in the making of their own astatic. ‘Notes on Astaticism’ is on view until December 24, 2011.