In pictures: Second edition of Kolkata Queer Arts Month sees exhibitions across three sites

In 2023, Kolkata Pride broke new ground by documenting queer experiences through art with the inaugural Kolkata Queer Arts Month. Last month, the event’s second edition took things up a notch, as artists from around the country lit up three exhibition sites across the city. As the celebrations enter their final leg this January, My Kolkata visited (clockwise from top left) Anjali-Pratyay, Experimenter Hindustan Road, and Aranya Baari for a closer look at the Ko:QAM 2.0 exhibitions

Titled, ‘Ghosts & Ghettos’, this edition was curated by Anindya Hajra and Navonil Das, with a focus on accommodating more voices. “The city went through huge motions of upheaval over the past few months and emotions were raw. We wanted the art to reflect upon the current socio-economic and political climate. At the same time, we wanted to reach out beyond our ghettos or bubbles of comfort to start conversations that wouldn’t have been possible earlier,” said Das

Archee Roy’s ‘I, Exist’, which first made an appearance during the Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk 2024, personified the resilience of marginalised communities against the exclusionary Brahminical, hetero-patriarchal system. “At the heart of this piece are eyes, used as a motif and metaphor. Eyes are mirrors that reflect, reveal and hold truths; while embodying the strength and vulnerability of those marginalised. They testify to the existence and struggles of a community that refuses to be invisibilised,” Archee said

(Top) Rishit Datta’s ‘Elsewhere’ series and (below) Prasenjit Chandra’s ‘This Body of Mine’ series profoundly challenge heteronormative perceptions of the body

“The ‘Ghosts and Ghettos’ theme is in keeping with our desire to examine the interstitial spaces of the city, which mirror the lived realities of queer and trans lives. This made it even more enriching to host Ko:QAM 2.0 at three unique sites, of which one is a gallery space, while another is an arts cafe. The third is a mental hospital-turned-assisted living facility,” said Hajra

Jugal Kumar’s ‘Puja Preparation’ questions the conventional notion of a family with acrylic and clothes. “This is such a poignant platform to explore identity and self-expression, while subverting societal norms with art. At Ko:QAM, we found a sanctuary of resistance, woven from threads of love, light and liberation,” Jugal said

Their partner, Delhi-based Anup Let, shared two pieces, ‘Scent’ and ‘Botanical Perspective’. They said, “This exhibition has been like a kaleidoscope of queer experiences, with vibrant artworks telling stories of resilience. It will remain etched as a memory of hope, solidarity and beauty in my heart.”

Let wasn’t the only artist from Delhi to be featured. Ko:QAM 2.0 also had a segment from artist-activist Sheba Chhachhi’s, 'Seven Lives and a Dream'. The collection comprises a series of monochrome photographs from the 1980s anti-dowry protests, along with key feminist activists from the time

Sumantra Mukherjee’s ‘Traits & Kraits’ is a series of 39 works, spread over all three sites, demonstrating the artist’s interpretation of popular stickers and lottery tickets. “Through this series, I wanted to express an understanding of the friends and sometimes strangers around me, comprising a series of superimpositions. They range from the greed of abundant opportunities, the confusion from diverging thoughts, and even the loss that emanates from being separated from all that is familiar,” Sumantra explained

‘Weaving the Past’ by Sriparna Dutta encapsulates memories from a marginalised childhood. “This work draws upon experiences of me and my sister, with embroidery and appliqués making a quilt come alive with family fabrics,” she said