The old Yamuna bridge is a two-level bridge (one for railway, one for traffic). It has long been declared to have outlasted its life-time and it actually wobbles vigorously when traffic or trains pass. With the Yamuna river having steadily degraded over the years, the bridge has become many more things: a patch of darkness, a shelter (under the bridge we found many temperory hutments). Being there I could sense decay and neglect. This performance emphasised the marginal space I occupy in Indian society as an artist.

on the bridge

under the bridge

sitting near one of the houses

In a marketplace like Basant Lok, the perceived value of space (occupancy, advertising) being so high, this performance is a study of how this space is used in different ways everyday and a demonstration of some ideas of how this space can be apropriated and used.

in front of the vodafone store near nirula’s

in the lobby of the axis bank, somebody’s temperory bedroom

in the window of the priya cinema

With this statement, I was responding to the way refugee communities under political asylum go through the process of re-creating their “place” in an alien country. The environments I stand in and walk through speak of the rich culturally assimilated world they live in.

a neighborhood TV-watching booth. they are watching a Tibetan-language channel.

talking to a student near a wall used for demonstration/protest posters

another “wall of protest”

the Tibetan flag and a drunk guy on on the pavement

at the entrance/exit of the “refugee colony”

I was interested in performing there because no infrastructure exists in informal settlements like Okhla. Most of the streets are dark or lit up by privately set up lights/peripheral lighting from homes.

explaining the project to some curious onlookers near a tea shop

walking near some embroidery factories

another conversation and a kid trying to read

walking past people bathing on a street

standing near a dark patch, mimicking a lamp-post

standing again

a lot of activity in the only lit-up square. I got two requests for similar jackets!

I was interested in performing there because no infrastructure exists in informal settlements like Okhla. Most of the streets are dark or lit up by privately set up lights/peripheral lighting from homes.

explaining the project to some curious onlookers near a tea shop

walking near some embroidery factories

another conversation and a kid trying to read

walking past people bathing on a street

standing near a dark patch, mimicking a lamp-post

standing again

a lot of activity in the only lit-up square. I got two requests for similar jackets!

at work on the processing sketch for “Before I Visit Vidarbha” in my studio

putting up the photographs of my performance with the modular jacket for our “open studio”

 
one of the walls of the display

a visitor

more jackets on the facing wall

a conversation with pooja and her friends

 
the installation for the processing sketch, “before I visit vidarbha”

another picture of the installation

giving a demo

The four pockets can be used to sprout moong, gram, beans etc., in quantity enough for a good snack.

back view

you can walk around with it. no problem. food growing on your back!

my moong sprouts were ready to eat in two days!

eat away!

the flyover doesn’t belong to the public works department (PWD)

the bedroom under the flyover

When I stood under and around the flyover, my jacket saying that “This space is mine,” a drunk guard came and asked me how I could lay a claim on the flyover. It belonged to PWD. He called his senior on the phone and told him that some person was claiming ownership of the flyover!

at the gates of the rashtrapati bhavan

walking in front of the north block

@ the north block parked in a “tow away zone”

the guard in front of the north block complex eying me…

 
parked in the garden beside the parliament

trying to unsuccessfully talk my way into the parliament house