When Artiste C Krishnaswamy took to the streets wound in light strips to explore the concept of disguise

C Krishnaswamy’s performance was an extension of his recently-concluded solo art exhibition titled Primordial Universe

Krishnaswamy amidst the performance

The moderately crowded Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, on a week night, is in for a surprise. Moving cars, pedestrians and daily commuters watch in awe as an illuminated human figure, atop a moving contraption, rolls onto the main road.

The small entourage accompanying this “procession” seems as lost as the onlookers. ‘What is going on?’— say their curious expressions. Dodging the many questions, the entourage moves out of 2nd street onto the main road, halts for a few minutes, and returns the same way. Thus, Primordial Universe, a visual art exhibition of the works of C Krishnaswamy, extends itself into a performance, lending the display an abstract visual component.

The vehicle (an open cart with big tyres, pulled by a group of men) which carries Krishnaswamy, wound in light strips, also has three of his sculptures mounted on it. Made of steel and inspired by the structural quality of commercial racks, the sculptures are human figures in different poses. Amidst them stands Krishnaswamy, known for his experimental and immersive performance art revolving around the concept of disguise (think:

Kundalini Rising ), this time wound in light strips.

Almost the entirety of his body is covered in light, resembling an illuminated apparition. Through the maze that the linearly placed sculptures create, Krishnaswamy literally embodies the contrast between darkness and light. This very idea looms large in the series of abstract work that was on display until yesterday. The display has linear paintings and sculptures that are abstract representations of what a ray of light means. When it comes to performances, Krishnaswamy uses his body as a tool to express what his art tries to convey.

“The idea was to lead a procession all the way to the Gandhi statue [near Marina beach]. But there were technical difficulties, so we had to cut it short,” says the artist, as he wriggles out of the light strips after the performance. Moreover, the heat that the lights emanate, is another challenge that needs to be dealt with. This is also why the performance lasted only for a few minutes. “I don’t bother if I have an audience. The idea is to express what I feel,” continues the artist, who believes that every act of his is in itself a search.