DEMOCRACY – THE ENDANGERED BIRD – ACT II with Saviya Lopes, Yogesh Barve and Arijit Bhattacharyya presented by Hillside Projects
Date: Thursday 28 September 2023
Time: 5.30 – 7 pm
Place: IASPIS/Konstnärsnämnden
Address: Maria Skolgata 83, Stockholm
Language: English
Free admission, no reservation needed
Welcome to an artist talk and lecture with Indian artists/curators Saviya Lopes, Yogesh Barve and Arijit Bhattacharyya followed by an informal conversation with refreshments and snacks. This presentation is part of the larger ambulating public programme DEMOCRACY – THE ENDANGERED BIRD initiated by Hillside Projects (SE) and presented at IASPIS, Zita and Index and in collaboration with The Nordic Art Association.
Why we do what we do with Saviya Lopes and Yogesh Barve. Clark House Initiative (Mumbai, IN) was a curatorial collective and artist union concerned with ideas of freedom. Until its closing in 2022, the space nurtured a number of Indian and international artists. Lopes and Barve were participating artists who later became the artistic directors. In this short talk, they will speak on being part of a collective, cultivating care and creating a platform for visibility as well as delve into their respective artistic practices. These practices arise from spending time creating visuals and engaging in conversations that are part of the social and cultural experiences that they inhabit.
Confluence of Power: Exploring the Interplay of Capitalism and Nationalism in Shaping Contemporary Art in India with Arijit Bhattacharyya. In a remarkable convergence, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ’Mann Ki Baat’ initiative marked their presence within a month in Mumbai. Both entities, embodying wealth and authority, exhibited an unprecedented interest in contemporary art. This intriguing dynamic underscores the fusion of Capitalism and Nationalism in India. This lecture by Bhattacharyya explores how these forces intersect and reshape the landscape of artistic freedom, ushering in new dimensions of power and influence.
Biographies:
Yogesh Barve and Saviya Lopes are visual artists based in Mumbai. They were participating artists and later, the artistic directors at Clark House Initiative. They were both on the curatorial team for Kochi Students Biennale 2022-23. Barve and Lopes maintain a regular exhibiting schedule nationally and internationally including, amongst others, 2nd Transnational Pavillion at the 55th Venice Biennale, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul and The Showroom, London.
Arijit Bhattacharyya is an artist and independent curator based in Weimar, Germany. His work delves into narratives of resistance through murals, design, engagements, cooking, and performances. He curates projects exploring social dissent. Recent solo exhibitions include Sea of Forests at the ChertLüdde and From Forests We Are And Forests We Will Be at the Kunstverein Braunschweig as well as, amongst others, group exhibitions at Röda Sten konsthall and Casa de Goethe, Rome.
Hillside Projects is artists Emily Berry Mennerdahl and Jonas Böttern based in Stockholm, Sweden. Through performance, video and text, their work explores tales of disappearances in the natural world and the interrelated socio-political narratives that arise through these tales. Recent presentations include PhotoKTM5 in Kathmandu, Nepal, Species, Soil and Successors at Oyoun, Berlin, dhak dhak ho-hum ah eekff iii ie, Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, Memorial for the Lost at Bonniers konsthall. In 2023/2024, Hillside Projects are artists in residence at IASPIS.
This programme is supported by The Swedish Arts Council and Nordic Culture Fund. Graphic design: Oskar Laurin and William J Andersson.