Tapping the inner being to produce the most effective works
has been the mainstay of many a successful artist. Yet when Berlin artist
Marcus Sendlinger invited German artists to participate in his project,
‘Alptraum’ (nightmare), he asked them to tap on their darker soul – on their
phobias, fantasies, fears. After an initial exhibition in Berlin, the works
were sent around to 11 destinations in the world from Slovenia to the USA,
growing organically as it did so.
Curating the Goa edition of the project, Leandre D’Souza of
Art Oxygen explains the uniqueness of the project, “Everywhere these works are
exhibited, local artists are invited to participate. What is interesting and
unique about this project is that it is nomadic without any fixedness of space,
and in terms of its content, it reflects the minds of the participating
artists. The works are spontaneous and done for the joy of giving,” she avers
of the project which fits right in with the concept of Art Oxygen which is ‘to
remove the purely aesthetic narrative of the work and get into a space where
there is constant feedback from the people who view it’. Leandre sorted the
intentionally unframed works into irrational personal phobias – sinister evil,
violence and sensual fantasy with external horrors. “It’s dark, but it’s
playful, trying to connect us with our inner selves,” she elucidates.
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Terming the 74 paper works and sculptures selected for
‘Tales from Darkness’ as cheeky and deviating from the norm, Leandre says
critiquing the project has been difficult. “Each work is characteristically
different from the other. It cannot be contained. That’s the beauty of the
project,” she explains of the exhibition, which is showcasing Indian and Goan
artists along with Russian, German, Slovenian, South African, American and
British. While the Goa participants are Viraj Naik, Chrislogo, Kathrina Kakar
and Kedar DK, Mandakini Devi (Delhi), Jayant Gupta and Karuna Tank (Rajasthan)
and Midhun Mohan (Kochi) have been invited from the rest of India.
Surmising the interpretations of the artists, Leandre
explains, “Caro Suerkemper, an artist/sculpture who brought the works from
Germany, is exhibiting four sculptures. Each of these, dealing with women in
their everyday life, is intrinsically feminine. Similarly, Kathrina Kakar’s
work ‘Traces of the Dead’, which beautifully encapsulates this whole concept,
is a series of translucent strips across a wall which is a combination of
obituaries and religious icons giving a sense of absence and memory. These
images are juxtaposed with indecipherable text and personal poetry. All of the
artists’ works are contemporary, provocative and bold with a distinctive
character and own narrative,” she maintains.
‘Tales from Darkness’ will be exhibited at Sunapranta, Goa
Centre for the Arts at Altinho, Panjim from March 28 to April 30, 2015
