Commissions

For a few hours in the dead of night, The Night Market of Stories celebrates the freedom of women and queer artists to be unproductive, unapologetic and gloriously present. Taking off from the idea of the market as a space designated for exchanges and transactions between people, the project invites one-on-one conversations with ten radical and experienced artists who tell their stories through a selection of objects from their everyday life. Each object brings to life a particular anecdote, memory, song, small dance or story that is meant for one audience member at a time. The languages spoken by them range from Konkani, Marathi, English to Hindi. 

Conceptualised as part of The Labour and Leisure Chronicles.

The Labour and Leisure Chronicles sets out to map the dynamics of chosen public sites in the city of Panjim by introducing performative interactions in response to their characteristics. It places at the forefront the idea of space as a changing phenomenon, defined not only by geographical terrain or architectural detail, but also by the actions it witnesses. In four distinct propositions, The Labour and Leisure Chronicles capture the overlap between functional life and the play of leisure.

This exhibition explores the music that emerges from within the indigenous and folk worlds. Nurtured by communities for eons, the sweet monotones of strings, the thunder of drumbeats, and the bellowing of horns resonate within the silent spaces of nature in the heartland of India. They speak of the celebration of life and a deep commune between our outer and inner worlds.

While the world is fighting against global warming and ecological issues, the people of Manipur, a state in India’s Northeast, have been struggling with a crisis since May 2023. Manipur is now a battlefield between two communities with people living in relief camps. As people endure such horrors and trauma, Kalakshetra Manipur explores what role theatre must assume at such a time.

The play shares testimonials, which have been collected and researched by the group, in an attempt to capture the nuances of homelessness in one’s own state and country. Through a psychophysical theatre process, the performance looks to highlight the traumatic experiences of people living in relief camps. It is an experimental work developed through an improvisational process, aiming to heal the warring communities as well as reflect on the absurdity of violence.

Inspired by countless maternal figures telling bedtime stories across generations, Shahi Tukra explores themes of tenderness, caregiving, sacrifice and wellbeing. Through simple and raw stories of the earth, this is an invitation to be imaginative, curious and empathetic about the planet. 

Shahi Tukra is a delightful treat that reminds one to slow down, be present, be aware, immerse and engage playfully with the materiality of the world we live in. Through a one-to-one experience, the performance focuses on the value of direct human interaction and touch in an accelerating world. Playful objects, smells, tactile materials and human touch are paired with an audio narrative to open doors for a sensory adventure. 

The House Blue is a blend of a pop-up photography exhibition and collaborative narrative theatre performance. 

The work is rooted in a series of images made by Mritunjay, a documentary photographer and filmmaker, of a government quarter, taken on the last day of its occupancy by his family. While the images themselves may seem like an attempt to capture the ephemeral aspect of leaving a house, the work is an enquiry of the questions that Mritunjay and perhaps countless other people have. 

What is home? Does a home need to be a physical space that one occupies? Can a place become a person and vice-versa? How does homelessness feel? What would its contours be? What does it mean to migrate, be displaced and to desert? What are the ways in which we engage with loss. These questions form the core themes of this performance. 

The narrative-theatre performance is a collaboration between Mritunjay and Anish, a theatre maker. It explores the multifaceted themes of home, migration, and the complex relationship between people and places. 

The primary language of performances shall be English and Hindustani with some Magahi. The performative piece uses a mix of narration, projection of the images from the house, and live music. Anish has created a series of original music pieces and uses popular songs in Nagpuri, Bhojpuri, and Bangla. There will be two shows every day at 12pm and 4pm, alternating between the English and Hindi/Hindustani languages (details below).

The House Blue exhibition is on view from 15 December to 22 December. 

Gabriel’s Trial seeks to touch upon issues concerning history and identity, examining the excesses of colonialism through the perspective of an enslaved Gabriel who oscillates between multiple identities and regimes of surveillance. The story of Gabriel’s life, enriched by those he met along the way, showcases the challenges of identity, the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism, and the enduring human spirit’s fight for freedom and self-identity.

Abundance in Scarcity is an immersive project exploring the interplay of scarcity and ingenuity in Ladakh. Nestled in the Himalayan cold desert, Ladakh’s environment has fostered sustainable practices and cultural resilience. The project features stories and installations that capture the essence of this resilient landscape and its people. Key themes include ‘ingenuity in scarcity,’ highlighting how limited resources drive creativity and sustainability; ‘cultural resilience,’ showcasing how ancient traditions adapt to contemporary challenges; and ‘environmental stewardship,’ prompting discussions on the balance between human life and ecological preservation. The project aims to foster collaboration among artisans and creators, sparking dialogue on sustainability and cultural preservation, and inspiring action towards integrating these practices into the future, while initiating conversations on fragility and sustainability.

Over the years, women’s work songs historically construct and reproduce their repetitive drudgery and everyday rhythms–further becoming vehicles of the construction and reproduction of gender identity. Accompanying their work with singing, accentuating the rhythms created by the everyday work. With dancers identified from specific geographical locations, this production will demonstrate the spatial, linguistic, and thematic range of women’s work by platforming music and dance forms in various languages, such as the Ovi from Maharashtra, weaving songs from Punjab, the Portuguese Fado from Goa, and songs of migration and separation from Bihar.

The performance will construct interconnected spaces, both domestic and public, in which women’s lives and work unfold. It will consider the loneliness of this work but also the contexts it offers for women to experience fun, friendship, and the divine. It offers a glimpse into the richly textured lives of everyday women through their conceptualisation of and relationship to work in their own words and voices.

Three artists and three dance forms—Ottan Thullal, Bharatanatyam and Kathak—come together in a journey with myth, music and movement, combining elements of theatre, percussion and other allied forms. Through this confluence of art forms and artists and the journey we collectively undertake, the performance aims to uphold a certain awareness of our actions, of what we do with our lives and our art. What must change, and what needs to stay the same?