The French novelist Georges Perec, in playing out a lipogram, penned a novel ‘La Disparition’ in 1969, sans the letter ‘e’. Anton Vowl, his protagonist cannot blink an eyelid and sleep peacefully until he actually discovers a missing link. A new group show, entitled ‘Words: A User’s Manual’, sets out to address a similar quandary.
In a meticulously put together exhibition, curator-writer Himali Singh Soin tries to elevate text from its mundane functionality to be the eclectic work of art. Soin has brought together an interesting mix of artists to present a pleasantly surprising range of creations by the Raqs Media Collective, Sarnath Banerjee and Zuleikha Chaudhari to young practitioners like typographer Hanif Kureshi and Prayas Abhinav, one who has been employing experimental media arts in engaging ways.
Each of the participating artists aptly and uniquely responded to the curatorial theme to create works over the last six months or so. For example, a four-panelled Flux machine by Hanif Kureshi is changing constantly, tricking viewers as it does. An array of peculiar four-letter words pop up, starting from ‘cure’ to ‘pose’ and ‘fare’, apparently ridding the words and the things they stand for of any inherent meaning.
Sarnath Banerjee’s, ‘I Lost My Wedding Ring Behind Harrod’s’, drawings of memories of those lost objects, is probably pièce de résistance of the show. He and the curator asked their friends to revive and respond with the nagging memory of any lost object. More than twenty such written testimonials are there on view - from lost lovers to lost cardigans —with illustrations accompanying them.
On the other hand, ’The Philosophy of the Namak Haram’ by Raqs Media Collective makes a rather silent statement. The installation is a secluded reading room carrying books with the ‘unwritten word’. However, they don’t really exist (a photograph does!). The wall texts form an intrinsic aspect of the whole exhibition experience. Just like for the ‘Flux machine’, the curator notes, “Your timing is perfect: everything’s about to change...”
‘Words: A User’s Manual’ is on view at New Delhi-based Exhibit 320.
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