Art From The Margins: Y S Alone's Exhibition Represents Dalit Lives

Scattered debris from the construction sites painted with the tools that labourers use to build mansions welcome you to the world of Amebedkarite aesthetics. Beyond the speculative grandeur of abstract artworks, it talks to and of the people바카라�the marginalised whose voices are rarely heard. Curated by Professor Y.S. Alone, the exhibition on the Art of Difference, titled 바카라�Interrogations and Ideologies: A Quest for Equality바카라� at the American Center, New Delhi, is representative of what the curator calls 바카라�anti-metaphysical aesthetic practice바카라�, an effort to go against the grain.

As 16 artists from marginalised communities come together to reflect on the alternative visual culture, it becomes a space that represents the everyday lives of Dalits, women and the oppressed classes. The exhibition also portrays the lives of Dr Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phule whose contribution to the anti-caste movement dismantled the prevalent notions of caste hierarchy.

Professor Alone says, 바카라�Mahatma Phule and Dr Ambedkar are the prominent figures who raised their voices against caste, gender, labour and all kinds of exploitation. This is an integral part of the Ambedkarite thinking process and hence, their ideas become a critique of Brahminical hegemony, inequality and Brahminical modernity.바카라�

In Knowledge We Trust

Education and knowledge have always been the focal points of the anti-caste discourse. This is manifested in the artworks and installations. Most of them have a blue backdrop바카라�a colour strongly associated with Dalit movements. While artist Siddhesh Gautam바카라�s paintings uphold the untiring struggles of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule to educate children, Ramabali Prajapati바카라�s installation titled 바카라�Stairs of Success바카라�, depicting a staircase made of cement, shows books as its foundational pillar.

The message 바카라�In God We Trust바카라� embossed on the iconic American bald eagle gets a new meaning in Darshan바카라�s painting as he places it against a blue background and replaces the words with 바카라�In Knowledge We Trust바카라�. Darshan says, 바카라�What I wanted to show with this satiric intervention is the significance of knowledge and education in the lives of the people, mostly the marginalised. So, I tweaked the message in an exhibition that is held at the American Center itself!바카라�

Caste As Embodiment

But does education mitigate the impacts of caste hierarchy? Artist Ishita Abha who belongs to the Regar community바카라�known for their leatherworks바카라�talks about the embodiment of caste. Using transfer printing on leather, she shows how human existence is connected to the caste certificate. 바카라�Women바카라�s bodies have always been used as caste fields. Whatever you do, the caste identity cannot leave you,바카라� says Abha.

While pointing out that the very existence of people itself has become performance, she adds, 바카라�You think you are talking about reparation but this is not happening. The way I talk, dress and present myself is nothing but performance to not get caught when I am among the elite social circles. This is the way you gain respect and dignity.바카라�

The exhibition provides a rare space for marginalised voices to reflect on their lived experiences. 바카라�The participating artists who belong to marginalised communities use their artworks to challenge the meta-narrative of the modernist, contemporary art practices of speculative and claimed hegemonic narratives,바카라� says Professor Alone. Overcoming the 바카라�바카라�non-representation of the real issues of caste and gender,바카라�바카라� these artworks engage in dismantling the aesthetics of inhibitions, he adds.

Depiction Of The Realities Of Life

Sometimes, direct representations become more powerful than abstract metaphysical ones. Poonam Grover바카라�s Cycle Rickshaw series is a fine example. Observing the daily lives of the rickshaw pullers in the small town of Panipat in Haryana, Grover portrays the precarity of hand-pulling in the age of mechanically driven vehicles. The acrylic painting of a rickshaw puller on a large canvas looks viewers in the eye without using any visual metaphor or metonymy. Professor Alone says, 바카라�All the artworks here depict the realities of life rather than abstract ideas of par-Brahma. That바카라�s a self-defeating attitude adopted by many practising artists who do not like to address issues of caste, gender and labour, which are an integral part of our society.바카라�

The precarious lives of Dalits are captured in the artworks of Samyak Prajapati who uses graphic print on canvas to show the miserable conditions of child rag pickers in big cities. These artworks destroy the lens of exoticism and make viewers, mostly belonging to Savarna communities, uncomfortable. Sudharak Olwe바카라�s photography series on the redlight area of Kamathipura in Mumbai invites viewers to shatter the dominant male gaze and to see 바카라�바카라�the abject conditionality and the hard reality of their lives.바카라�바카라�

Ambedkar As A Central Figure

Ambebdkar바카라�s life is a constant in the exhibition. Malavika Raj바카라�s work titled 바카라�Waiting for Visa바카라�, named after Babasaheb바카라�s short autobiography, portrays his experiences of untouchability in different stages of his life. Naresh Suna바카라�s 바카라�Ineradicable바카라� is a large portrait of Ambedkar who is shown sounding his famous clarion call바카라�Educate, Agitate, Organise.

Should such exhibitions be held in more accessible spaces than the American Center?

Professor Alone says, 바카라�In principle, yes, but how many places or galleries would like to host such exhibitions? I can curate bigger shows  with many artists from all over India but I need a suitable space and a support system to do that.바카라�

The impact of such exhibitions, nonetheless, is wide. It serves to make more people aware of alternative realms of art. Darryl K. Woolfolk, Public Diplomacy Officer, Public Engagement, US Embassy, says, 바카라�I really didn바카라�t know much about Dr Ambedkar and his role in creating the Indian State. I found out that he was from the Dalit community. So, an exhibition like this that showcases his role in India바카라�s evolution as a modern country is really significant.바카라�

An art scholar who chooses to remain anonymous sums it up eloquently, 바카라�When the great artists of our time are busy portraying the prime minister바카라�s 바카라�Mann ki Baat바카라�, these works are a necessary breather that help to keep our faith in art intact.바카라� 

(This appeared in the print as 'Art from the Margins')