அழகு

beauty

1

As you follow the footwear and kolam into the Gallery 1, to your right, works by artists from Palani Studio are presented as an abstract kolam, making patterns and connections.

Is the space between one artwork and another enough for colonial aesthetic to stand? Can you hold my beauty next to yours? What if clumsiness were a stance—a soft rebellion? How much works could a gallery hold? During initial conversations, Palani wanted to exhibit as many photographs as possible. He wanted to portray as many stories as possible. It was not only a comment on politics of space and opportunity but it was also a promise of collectivity and solidarity. Layered display defies the pristine order of the white-cube, offering instead a gentle disruption—a decolonial gesture where beauty lies in closeness, where meaning grows in the mess.

The photographs shows slices of oppression and exploitation. Scenes from Chennai Ennore oil spill, Kannagi Nagar displacement, Anakaputhur eviction, Chennai flood, and many more important political instances along with equally important domestic scenes. This section also holds works by photographers Noor Nisha and Ravikumar from Palani Studios. These photographers are documented as a part of Palani’s work with People’s Archive of Rural India ( PARI)

The narrative jumps from one to another, not fully making sense, reflecting the representation of Tamil lives in the global gaze. It critiques the momentary visibility of these issues and misrepresentation.