கருவி

tool

5

Kolam art is an eco-feminist practice, using rice flour to create intricate patterns that feed insects and small animals, symbolizing harmony with nature. Erased and redone everyday, its ephemerality reflects sustainability, cyclical nature of life, naturally dissolving over time.

While works from Palani Studio portray facets of Tamil identity today and captures moments of solidarity and support, Osheen’s loop animation visualises a future.

This installation celebrates life, resilience, communal bonding, and the regenerative joy of caste-oppressed communities in Tamil Nadu. The agricultural labor and histories of the Dalit people, often overlooked and unrecognised, form a crucial backdrop to this exploration. The circle of life, symbolised through the harvest cycle, underscores the interconnectedness between humans and nature and the enduring strength.

The accompanying sound draws inspiration from the funeral processions in Tamil Nadu, where music and dance play a crucial role in honoring the deceased and celebrating the circle of life. Parai drum, crafted from animal skin, symbolizing the human connection with nature and the politics surrounding beef and meat consumption in India. The unique, visceral sound of the Parai drum serves as a powerful allusion to the joys and cultural vibrancy of oppressed communities. The music was recorded by the musician, activist and teacher, Manimaran and his students at Buddhar Kalai Kuzhu, Chennai.

By integrating the sounds of the Parai drum and blue line visuals of the animation, the installation celebrates the joy within the Dalit community, their deep connection to nature, and their ways of honouring the deceased and ancestors. The installation aims to provide a space for reflection on the resilience and cultural richness of these communities, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of their traditions and contributions.

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Similar to Kolam’s primordial use as a tool to understand cosmos, these bodies of work, together operate as temporal kolams, shifting between timelines, trying to observe, decipher and understand Tamil women, Queer and Dalit identity. To collectively reflect a better future.

Leave your kolams on the notebooks present on the floor...