Voicing their concern against racism, a group of artists from India and Africa came together to exhibit their works at “Coriolis effect: Migration and Memory” at the Capital’s Khoj Studios in Khirki Extension. The event was a culmination of a month-long residency at Khoj Studios that included Indian and African artists. It was aimed to highlight the social, economic and cultural relationship which exists between India and Africa.
The objective of the event was to showcase the African continent with all its diversity in terms of cultures and traditions. Malini Kochupillai one of the participating artists said, “These are people who are very similar to us as are their desires and aspirations.” Her 12-page mock newspaper “Khirkee Voice/Khirkee ki Awaaz” focusing on the lives of Africans living in Khirkee village was one of the works displayed at the event. Describing racism as a “disturbing feeling”, Kochupillai said, “It does not feel nice to be targeted because you look in a certain way.” Coming from a mixed parentage, she recalls being discomforted by her skin colour as a child growing up in Delhi.
Andrew Ananda Voogel whose artworks portrayed the trading of Indian labour to Caribbean made a pertinent point on the habit of people to stare at those who look different. “Staring hurts. It is one of the biggest problems which the students from Africa and North-East India face in public spaces and that's how I came up with this idea.” Voogel has used fabrics of vibrant hues like gold, metallic, blue and red with commonly used phrases like “buri nazar waale tera munh kala” highlighting the dominant thought process of the society at large where white is associated with pristine values and black is often linked with evil.
Interestingly Voogel, whose ancestors are from India, recalled that his grandmother Laxmi was from Uttar Pradesh. “We are not ready to accept diversity. Africa is culturally different from India and so there is discrimination.”
The sculptures displayed by South African artist Liza Grobler reminded were in golden colour. Stating that the works focussed on the complex materialistic side of wedding, she agreed that she could have used other colours but chose the golden hue as it symbolised and suited marriage ceremony. Doing a lot of research before deciding on a suitable shade, Grobler prefers keeping her art pieces monochromatic. Her sculpture on migration was in green colour.
Grobler said her works went beyond wedding. Pointing to the golden broom she explained, “It depicts the duties forced on women after marriage.” Drawing attention to the specific notion of what a woman should do and what she shouldn’t, she said, “Being an African woman, I come across many such questions. I travel a lot so people often wonder how I manage to do so as I am supposed to do only household chores!”
Other exhibits included, sound instruments created by Joao Orecchia using copper bowls and car horns; Chibuike Uzoma’s 22 mixed media drawings and photographs showing the streets of Old Delhi; Mahesh Shantaram’s photographs capturing the Africans residing in Delhi and Jalandhar and Swati Janu’s project to probe deeper into the digital patterns of the diverse migrant communities at Khirkee.
