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G. R. Iranna's site specific installation titled 'Naavu' in
Kannada roughly meaning 'We Together,' occupies a whole long
wall arranged around the old rounded columns of the building
structure. The installation consists of Padukas, wooden
footwear, earlier generally worn by monks and people who
might have wanted to live an austere spiritual life.
The Padukas has sand
adhering to them. Almost each of the Padukas has some
sort of intervention on them. Some of them have been painted.
Some motifs being Apple, Table, a simple adobe, Tabla (a
musical instrument), flowers; some have other objects attached
to them. Many of these objects are, ghunghroos,
carpentary implements, some small devotional vessels, scissors
small and big. ''...
the Padukas together make a mass moving in a directional
flow, indicating a mass of people, a movement that gathers
strength as it goes along. It indirectly also indicates the
great and diverse following that Gandhiji had and his emphasis
on inclusiveness and working together. I also wanted to bring
in certain individuality to these Padukas, indirectly
connecting them to the aspirations of people.''
- G. R. Iranna.
Seen as a whole it’s like a mass
that gathers momentum and accretes energy as it moves in a
certain direction. This energy is palpable if the audience
reflects on it and has some quiet moments with it. The pillars
in the wall act as a break in this directional flow, creating a
rupture, but then again the Padukas seem to gather
strength on their onward movement.
This installation is emblematic
of resistance and rupture, of struggle, of coming together for a
common cause, of the strength in unity within diversity, and the
power of inclusiveness.
G. R. Iranna has shown widely in
institutional context. His mid carrier survey of works from
1995-2015 was presented at National Gallery of Modern Art,
Bengaluru ‘And the last shall be the first: G. R. Iranna,
Works 1995-2015’ curated by
Ranjit Hoskote and presented by The Guild in 2015.
If visiting Venice Biennale, do
visit the India Pavilion curated by Roobina Karode of Kiran
Nadar Museum of Art, titled 'Our Time for a Future Caring.'
© The Guild
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The Guild - Mumbai
(admn and viewing)
1/A, Pipewala Building,
4th Pasta Lane,
Shahid Bhagat Singh Road
Colaba, Mumbai 400005
+91 022 2287 5839 /6211
www.guildindia.com |
The Guild - Alibaug
1028, Ranjanpada,
Next to Sai Temple,
Mandwa Alibaug Road,
Alibaug - 402201,
Hours: All days 10-6.30pm
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