When it comes to visual propaganda, avenues across social media are peppered with political messages, be it calls for donations to parties, campaign for candidates or simply calls to vote. But the ground reality is different, with murals and street art becoming far more confronting. Hyderabad-based street artists Swathi and Vijayare on a new endeavour and if you happen to be gazing out the window while you’re on NH65, you may spot one of their works.
In starkly stencilled work, the words are the centrepiece: ‘Missing: Honest Politicians. Note: Persons having no information concerning this are requested to think of NOTA and report at your polling booth on 11th April 2019. #findhonestpoliticians.’
It started when the duo were travelling from Khamman to Hyderabad and thought of setting up these works as the highway sees plenty of people who idly stare out of the windows. Then the work spread to the neighbourhoods where young families, couples or working folk tend to live.
Speaking over the phone from Bengaluru, the artists share they’re travelling the country to post up these works. “It’s a universal message,” shares Swathi, “and we want to do Chennai, Vijayawada and a few other places.” Vijay adds, “We are also observing where the young voters and voters-to-be are situated.” They are yet to decide on the neighbourhoods they will be working in.
Swathi continues, “It’s a fact that younger people are lazy about going to vote or even registering. So we want to reach out to those people. We also chose not to have pictures because it would detract attention from the important message.”
‘Missing: Honest Politicians’ street art by Swathi + Vijay on NH65
The artists contemplate what constitutes an honest politician these days; for them, a political figure must be upfront even when the truth doesn’t please everyone. Some may argue this sounds idealistic or even Utopian. “Before a nomination comes through, we have to see how they are placed with the cases that may be against them. Then we have to decide. Society needs to think for itself that way.” But it’s not so simple to simply call for transparency.
Do they genuinely believe there are honest politicians out there? “I think so,” Vijay considers, “but they haven’t reached any true position of power. I think they don’t stay there for very long. That’s why our current series calls for an approach to NOTA. There’s no cleaning of these political parties and we have to be allowed to consider external influences.”
The artists have courted controversy in the past. One noteworthy project was their ‘heritage orphans’ project — where they spray painted words evoking abandonment on neglected heritage sites — which didn’t sit well with Telangana’s Archaeology and Museums Department. Another was last year’s state elections where they manifested a polling booth as a toilet in which people dropped off their votes.
When asked if the artists are hopping on the political bandwagon simply to be transgressional and leaving a mark, Vijay responds, “I don’t know how to answer that, to be frank. There are freedom fighters who fought for their causes with genuine belief but they didn’t do it for sake of fame. To us, fame isn’t a big deal and it’s not our cup of tea.”
