As We Rise
(series) | Digital Montage | Archival Print on Enhanced Matte Paper | Edition of 3 | 2020-21
As We Rise produces unfinished, unoccupied spaces as photomontages, with self-portraits juxtaposed with eroding structures of urbanity.
The collages create dystopic visions of the subcontinent with corroding landscapes, environments, and political climates.
Dreams.exe brings together emerging digital artists working across South Asia, who lend a glimpse into their imagined futures. Responding to Terrain.art’s open call, the artists included in this exhibition speak to the theme of ‘dystopia,’ drawing from the technocratic landscape that dominates our present against an environment of social isolation, informational overload, and urban and environmental degradation. The artists look to conditions of the digital present as we accelerate towards a future that seems to never arrive. The exhibition marks a milestone in Terrain.art’s commitment to building a supportive ecosystem and a Digital Marketplace that encourages new vocabularies of art. Artists featured in the exhibition are: Aditi Aggarwal, Aiman Verma, Anisha Baid, Annette Jacob, Joe Paul Cyriac, Moksha Kumar, Pranay Dutta, Prerit Jain, Sayak Shome, Subhojyoti Sen Sarma, Sudhir Ambasana, Sultana Zana, and Yasha Shrivastava. A Dream Inventory. A phone screen erupts into an endless scroll as graphic elements glitch and blur in a state of rapid motion. Celestial bodies swirl, with and apart from each other, at a galactic pace. Abandoned urban architecture is juxtaposed with the artist's body, creating a simultaneous site under construction and demolition. Isolated, discarded objects placed in surreal combinations orchestrate a fiction in progress. Augmented wild animals placed in neighbourhood parks denote a shift in urban ecologies. Visions from a strange world emerge as fauna and flora morph into fantastical beings and landscapes. A machine generates poetry alongside a moving collage of sun-lit digital skies. Natural elements interact with the body, creating a symbolic space for the feminine. Analogous and digital, imagined and remembered; scraps of discarded informational output are combined into visual noise. A cloud burst occurs over a virtually generated, inhospitable environment. Eroded deco art buildings scheduled to be torn down morph into a new life. A conch shell questions a man on his presence in the Euclidean plane. - Text from terrain.art - weblink🔗
DREAM 4 : BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION (AFTER KUMARTULI)
Gum Bichromate Print (Alternative Photography Printing Technique)
Water Colour Pigment : Silver + Graphite | 22 x 30 inches |56 x 76 cm | 2023
In her self-portrait, the artist captures the essence of a journey to Kumartuli, a place steeped in history and tradition. Standing on a road paved with bricks destined for further construction, she is surrounded by an atmosphere of impending change and uncertainty. In the distance, lightning streaks across the sky, heralding the approach of an ominous storm—a metaphor for the challenges and upheavals that lie ahead. In the background, the iconic silhouette of Jantar Mantar serves as a reminder of the passage of time, a constant presence in the artist's daily commute from Greater Noida to Noida. Against this backdrop, ghost colonies and unoccupied buildings stand as silent witnesses to the transience of human existence, caught in a state of limbo between the past and the future. In the foreground, a scarecrow stands as a symbol of both protection and vulnerability, its presence serving as a stark reminder of the impermanence of life. As the earth beneath it threatens to swallow it whole, the scarecrow becomes a poignant metaphor for the fleeting nature of existence—a poignant reminder of the artist's own mortality. Executed using the Gum Bichromate Printing Process, the composition takes on a dreamlike quality, with the use of graphite pigment adding to the sense of ethereal beauty. Through this alternative photography technique, the artist captures not only the physical landscape but also the emotional and psychological landscape of her experience, inviting viewers to contemplate the fragile balance between creation and destruction, permanence and impermanence.
DREAM 2: BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION (UFO)
Gum Bichromate Print (Alternative Photography)
Pigment : Silver + Graphite | 22 x 30 inches |56 x 76 cm | 2023
In the midst of a dreamlike dystopian landscape, the artist sits within the confines of an abandoned or unoccupied architectural structure—a studio in construction at Kaladham. Above her head, a sky stretches out expansively, dominating the scene with its vastness. Against this backdrop, a multistory apartment, resembling a UFO, traverses the heavens, symbolizing the mysterious and uncertain future that looms overhead. The setting exudes an aura of surrealism and uncertainty, with elements of both beauty and desolation intertwined. A mountain range stands prominently in the middle ground, its jagged peaks adding to the otherworldly atmosphere. Beyond, a sea stretches out, its waters tumultuous and foreboding. An upturned submarine-like ship adds to the sense of disarray, hinting at a world in upheaval. In the foreground, an accordion-fold book rests, its pages filled with the artist's drawings depicting the past world around her. These sketches serve as a poignant reminder of what once was, juxtaposed against the backdrop of an uncertain and evolving future. Each image captures a moment in time, frozen in the artist's memory and immortalized in graphite pigment. The entire composition is executed using the Gum Bichromate Printing Process, an alternative photography technique known for its ethereal and dreamlike qualities. Through the use of graphite pigment, the artist creates a hauntingly beautiful aesthetic, reminiscent of a faded memory or a half-remembered dream. As the viewer gazes upon the scene, they are drawn into a world of contradictions—where beauty and decay, hope and despair, coexist in harmony. The artist's self-portrait serves as a focal point, anchoring the viewer in the midst of this surreal landscape. Her presence, though small in comparison to the vastness of the surrounding environment, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of uncertainty. Ultimately, the artwork invites contemplation on the nature of existence, the passage of time, and the ever-changing landscapes of both the external world and the inner self. It is a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of a world in flux—a world where the past, present, and future converge in a kaleidoscope of images and emotions. From the inventory of dreams: The visuals draw from the technocratic landscape that dominates our present against an environment of social isolation, informational overload, and urban and environmental degradation. Looking to conditions of the digital present as we accelerate towards a future that seems to never arrive. They include abandoned urban architecture juxtaposed with self-portraits, creating a simultaneous site under construction and demolition.
DREAM 3 : BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION (SHIP AND ALIEN)
Diptych. | Gum Bichromate Print (Alternative Photography)Pigment : Silver + Graphite | 22 x 30 inches each | 56 x 76 cm x 2 sheets | 2023
In a haunting diptych, the artist portrays herself within the confines of an abandoned or unoccupied architectural structure—an unfinished studio at Kaladham. In the one panel, she stands beneath a sky dominated by a granite-like stone, while in the second panel, the sky reveals two suns, casting an eerie glow over the scene. This dual portrayal suggests a narrative unfolding in two sequels, each with the same protagonist—the artist herself—caught under strange and mysterious circumstances. The setting exudes an aura of dystopia and dreamlike unreality, with elements of both beauty and foreboding intertwined. As the artist grapples with the uncertainty of the future, she clutches a camera stand that once belonged to her father—a photographer who passed down his passion for capturing moments in time. It serves as both a connection to her past and a tool for navigating the unknown terrain ahead. In the midst of this surreal landscape, the artist finds herself in conversation with an alien being, a symbol of the unfamiliar and the otherworldly. Meanwhile, a ship has breached the walls of the studio, its presence signaling an impending collision and chaos. The sea has also invaded the space, flooding the studio with its murky depths—a metaphor for the overwhelming forces of change and upheaval. Despite the chaos unfolding around her, the artist remains a silent observer, watching events unfold with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. She is torn between the desire to hide or escape the ominous future that looms before her. Her internal struggle is reflected in the tension between the two panels, each capturing a moment of uncertainty and anticipation. The entire composition is executed using the Gum Bichromate Printing Process, a technique known for its ethereal and dreamlike qualities. Through the use of graphite pigment, the artist creates a hauntingly beautiful aesthetic that invites viewers to contemplate the nature of existence and the passage of time. In this diptych, the artist explores themes of identity, memory, and the unknown, inviting viewers to embark on a journey through the recesses of the subconscious mind. It is a compelling portrayal of a world in flux—a world where past, present, and future collide in a kaleidoscope of images and emotions.
Concoction
During the last few months - There is a feeling that we are simultaneously walking back in the past and future. On the risk of not sounding very gloomy, the sky is the bluest ever and the air is fresh. And there are penguins walking down the streets and dolphins in city lakes and rivers… Back to the Future - engaging in time travelling; shuttling freely between past, present and future, re-examining, re-imagining, altering, tweaking whatever is required to build an alternative sequence of possibilities.
Text: Source Vichaar K Achaar - Weblink 🔗
