Following the discussion, the special exhibition opened its doors to the public. Speaking about the exhibition, curator Ina Puri said, ‘Contemporaneity requires museums and art institutions to engage in a dialogue with the world on an equal basis. ‘Stories of Light and Song: Contemporary Art Practices in Asia’ is brought to Birla Academy with the hope that we can speak one universal language of inclusivity. The powerful, contemporary voices may be moving at different speeds, yet they move through the same historical time’
‘Waves’, is a site-specific installation made of bamboo cane was done by Gidree Bawlee uniting artisans from West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. It is a collaborative effort by bamboo and cane artists Amal Tudu, Prodip Roy, Gurupada Dome, Srikanta Pramanike, Paresh Dome, Palash Dome, Bijoy Dhara, Kamruzzaman Shadhin and Salma Jamal Moushum from Bangladesh and Birbhum in West Bengal
Olwe, who has been documenting the lives of these performers since 2003, said, ‘Lavani dance form is fading and the dancers are also a neglected community today. There are only about 3,000 dancers in the region. They were mostly women from the Dalit communities. These photographs were meant to bring them respect and dignity’
Another interesting installation is the ‘Change Room Archives’ by Delhi-based artist Baaraan Ijlal. It’s a travelling sound installation of voices of people sharing their stories, apprehensions and desires. Ijlal conceptualised this installation as an open channel of voices telling their stories anonymously, with herself as the witness