Issue 02
June - August 2013
team
Founder and Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Arts Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Legal Advisor
KRITI BAJAJ SONAL JHA MEDHA KULKARNI AARUSHI UBOWEJA VARUN WARRIER AKSHAY RAM
Layout Design
KRITI BAJAJ
Cover Photograph
VASUDHA WADHERA Marine Drive, Mumbai
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editorial Dear Readers, Welcome to another issue of Bricolage Magazine. It is only our second, and what an adventure the last six months have been! We, like any other publication, have had our ups and downs, and it has not always been easy to keep a voluntary project like this going. But we’ve come this far, and for that, we have our wonderful readers and contributors once more to thank. We’re also delighted to have expanded our team in August 2013 with two brand new editors, whose work you will find in this issue. This issue contains stories, essays, poetry, interviews, art and photography from contributors in India, Jordan, the UK, and Belgium. I hope that reading it will prove as much of a learning and enjoyable experience for you as editing and compiling it has been for us. Without further ado, I give you our second issue!
Kriti Bajaj Editor-in-Chief
PHOTOGRAPH BY RASHMI SWAMY IN DIU, INDIA
submissions@bricolagemagazine.com Submission Guidelines - www.bricolagemagazine.com/p/submissions.html editors@bricolagemagazine.com All rights remain with respective authors/artists. Terms of Service - www.bricolagemagazine.com/p/terms-of-service.html
contents FICTION 4 Snow - Varun Warrier POETRY 8 Three Poems - Sudevi Geary 11 Systems of Silence - Aarushi Uboweja DIARY 14 Find Your Forest - Ramit Singal FEATURES 18 Safarvia: Language, Culture, Travel - Samar Saeed 21 Revisiting Josephine: A Tour of Malmaison - Judy Rae ART 26 The Golden Ear: A Tribute to Wagner - Ratnadeep Gopal Adivrekar INTERVIEWS 34 Meet the Artist: Ratnadeep Gopal Adivrekar - Medha Kulkarni 37 Sahana Balasubramanya: The Language of Dance - Kriti Bajaj PHOTOGRAPHY 42 The Silence of Diu - Rashmi Swamy
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f i c t i o n
Snow
VARUN WARRIER
We ran together, skittishly, falling over ourselves that day. You had your mittens on, and I had none, and by the time we came back, my palms were bruised and swollen from the cold ice. All around us there was a faint hum, a gentle sigh of the land on this God-given day. How long we had waited. How long the weather forecasters had teased us, promising snow many times over a span of three years. You were the first to see it. I was still in the attic, searching for old blankets that my mother had carefully stowed away many years ago. I heard your voice, screaming, and I thought someone had broken in. When I rushed down, I saw you by the window, your face pressed up against the glass. You were shivering. When I came up to you, you whispered in great fear that it was all over. The sky was falling, you said, and the clouds had come apart, torn by something unimaginably feral. When I looked outside, I could see it. There were soft white patches, nothing I had ever seen or heard of in my life. I thought you were right, and I could hear my heart beat faster, and feel my forehead break into a sweat. But, when I looked out, all I could think was how beautiful it looked. For weeks we had the cold wave. It lulled the land, and soon, the earth burst into colours we had seen only in books before. Forgotten ochres, vermilions, and crimsons. The leaves became papery, and the air brittle. Soon, all that remained were deep skeletal branches, stretching into the white sky.
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We were the lucky few. Between you and me, we had several old blankets and sweaters that we had inherited from our grandparents. They were all mottled and moth-eaten. We didn’t know what to do with them, but we didn’t throw them out. They were precious heirlooms, meant to be preserved and protected. All around us people shivered when the cold came in. Their open houses swayed as the wind whipped through. The frail timber frames shrank into themselves, as if afraid. Our skins turned pale and our noses became runny.
When I came back from work one day, exhausted and weak from the cold, I saw you sitting on the floor, old books splayed out in front of you. These are grandmother’s, you said, without me even asking. They were old picture books, with printed stories woven in between. I sat down next to you out of curiosity. I remembered my mother reading these stories out loud to me when I was still a child on her lap. Those were the years of the long summer. The air was rancid with the heat, and you could hear the land shrivelling. Spread out before us were stories long forgotten. There were pictures of young girls and boys in gaily coloured coats, sweaters, scarves and hats. They were dancing in a field, stark white and bare. How happy they looked. You turned to me and asked, were you ever this happy as a child? I pressed my hand into yours, and not lifting my eyes from the book said that it was all a story, none of it was true. Then came the rumours. I heard them first, at work. Up in the north, the cold had dried the sea, casting it into a pale, crystal sheet that spread for acres and acres. There were stories of people dancing on this vast sheet, playing games and having fun. The sea had receded and thrown up more land. None of it had ever happened before in living memory, and we brushed it aside, you and I, preferring to believe that this was all fiction, a crazy hope brought in by the dipping temperatures.
In the morning when I woke up, the day after the first flurries, I saw the room bathed in a pale glow. The sky was still sullen. When I looked out, I saw the whole field outside white and pale, ephemeral in the early morning light. I shouted, suddenly joyous and frightened. It was true after all. All those stories trapped in lines and words had quietly, overnight, taken flight and landed in our own world. I called out to you, barely unable to conceal my excitement. When you came, and looked outside through the window pane, I could hear your breath quicken. Already people were outside, gamboling in the whiteness, scooping the snow in their naked palms and hitting each other with it. That night you and I made love. You giggled and told me how weird it felt, under all these blankets, when it was dark and frightening. I pressed myself closer to you, and your palms found their way up and down my back. And there, in the heat of my back, they remained. There, in the heat, you found comfort once again. Varun Warrier is a graduate from Madras Christian College, Chennai, and a Postgraduate from University College London. He is currently reading for an MPhil in Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. His works have been previously published in magazines such as Chai Kadai, Pyrta Journal and Fiction365. He is an associate editor at Bricolage Magazine. Photograph by Carmen Gonzalez carmengflahavin.tumblr.com
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p o e t r y
Three Poems by Sudevi Geary Journeymen We cannot travel everywhere together. There are some conclusions to which we can ride down the markets of our belonging arms gracing arms with unbarred wheels and brakes that fail let us soar we’re too good at this, comrade too fast to stop for the lights the river the dark waters traversed in line with out of tune proclamations of our love our life it is good to us. Our critical mass finds its flow upstream against the tides the traffic the only one way to go and we yell successes into the earth break through concrete yodel through ancient echoes with tales of near misses of oops and ha ha and look how we live how life, enamoured by our juices, drinks from our veins. But we cannot travel everywhere together and it ends when we hear yells nothing like our own of a man black pulled to the ground by six white and under a stern gaze
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a powerhouse in a dark sky a body, just a body, buried before he is cremated under graceless arms and unloving chests; our group splinters our wheels sink in sympathy a synchronised fall I fall behind. Some journeys demand solitude a sober call for meaning for answers to questions asked before dream. As I walk away a stranger passes and asks the air, “How scared is she?” then I begin We cannot travel everywhere together.
Marigolds I like to sit with you on days like these, when pathetic fallacy finds its vocation among discarded leaf plates and the sour breath of decaying tomatoes. I find a shrivelled coconut that looks like a bird, like softer bodies than tough shells, like old life perpetually taking new forms; I’m reminded of you. I cannot find you in the usual places; they yell your words through ego, through crackling back-wired speakers and I cannot hear you in them. Perhaps I am tripping up on their confusion, theirs because the day we arrived here I felt you carry me to your grave to soothe my wounds with your salt. I wanted to burn with you, I wanted to surrender my eyes at your feet, feel your arms holding me away from the rest of this madness. I want to see your eyes still, two pillars holding my soul, holding back the waves of self-destruction. I like to sit with you on days like these, when marigold ropes hang from your door, when we speak through water and wind.
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Senate House Library This building screams and we sit here in silence. We hold our breath, resign our needs, leave oxygen to the skies as we search through symbols for signs of life. He traces shapes with the ink of his eyes, balancing corners on lines that, if looked at in the right light, show us what we cannot know. This was the shell I admired from afar, a relic of a beast that once lived, that now, in the geometry of its smoothed bones, gives shelter to all the parasites of history. In these deadened woods lie a corpse upon a shield, a sword of this (our) battle to carve down the living and, on the skins of the past, spend a thousand years arguing on what it means to be alive.
Sudevi Geary is an MA Social Anthropology and a BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing graduate. She is many different things and someone once called her a ‘brutal angel of wisdom’, but he doesn’t speak to her anymore. She lusts after the forest, and when you’re not looking she will pick the flowers from your garden. Photograph “Marine Drive” by Vasudha Wadhera www.facebook.com/vasudhawadheraphotography
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Systems of Silence by Aarushi Uboweja
Music invents Silence It is twilight. The quiet of my breath, an equilibrium of space and sound. Absence is a premonition. Soon I will trace my memoirs; my echoes will confine the exiles of silence that your voice will vacate. The spectres of my presence will observe nothing. Stealthily, the rain will wash away the chronicles of ashes. Nomads will come. Music will invent silence.
Eclipse We live underwater. I am told that no one hears the rain.
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Soul Kitchen Sitting across each other – the two of us, timeworn, with glazed eyes. At a loss for words, bartering awkward silences. It is a fair exchange, hush for hush. Trough on trough, a function that is periodic, constant. A conundrum, the equation with no solution. A spider, scuttling in circles. Chasing itself, solemnising the genesis of logic, seeking deliverance.
Aarushi Uboweja is a research associate at Central Square Foundation. A graduate of the Young India Fellowship, she hopes to travel, see the world, read and write. She is an associate editor at Bricolage Magazine. Photograph “Monsoon Reflections” by Siddharth Pandit www.facebook.com/SiddharthPanditPhotography Instagram: @thesidp
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d i a r y
Find your forest by Ramit Singal
Until my final year in school, my only exposure to forests and the outdoors was in the form of vacations and occasional family outings to the mountains and to national parks. I observed them with a sense of awe – their power and unhindered functioning – from the outside. But I never truly embraced the wild, never really belonged. When birdwatching became my hobby as a teenager, the forest meant a little more - but the vacations were now spent looking out for as many species of birds as possible in a short period of time. While this did enhance my understanding of some of the citizens of the forest, I still didn’t belong. I was merely a shortterm visitor looking for something in the presence of the mighty trees and the not-so-mighty creatures that resided amongst them. When I moved to Manipal, a small university town situated between the Western Ghats and the coast, I was excited, and eager to discover a part of India I had not yet seen. Using the power of my legs as transport, I started exploring what was available to me in Manipal itself. I spent hours rooted to one spot under a tree. Day by day, my focus evolved. I was no longer looking for birds. I was beginning to understand the system in which these birds worked. I let the tree become a part of me – or vice versa. I let insects crawl on my feet. I watched lizards coming out of hiding as they no longer viewed me as a threat. The birds started to grow accustomed to my presence. They perched near me, and went about their business unmindful of my presence. Even the local people who would use the tracks in these patches soon stopped caring. I no longer felt like an outsider; I felt like I belonged. It was a different feeling. I let the forest accept me, and it did. Where I fit, I still do not know. But my eyes were opening to something I had never experienced before. I stopped travelling on roads and paths. Letting my eyes be my guide, I started travelling along branches and up tree trunks. I started appreciating minute details. On some days, it was the ants I travelled with, watching them encountering little bumps and obstacles, battling a heavy breeze. I travelled with caterpillars working their way up a big leaf. I travelled with seasons. I watched the tree change and shed and grow BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
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over the year. I let my body and clothes absorb the raindrops that fell on me. I watched animals come and leave. I sat unmoving and let the birds and small mammals forage for food, feed their young and battle for territories in front of me. As a birdwatcher, this has been the most beautiful phase for me. I do not always find new birds now, but I watch and understand more birds than ever before. They let me photograph them at close quarters. They let me into their private lives. And the more I have watched, the more I have learnt. The more I find intriguing. I have more questions now, but I also have more answers. The art of observing creatures who cannot speak to you is one that requires quite a bit of patience. To understand the habits and routines of these denizens as they go about their lives can be altogether confusing. There are moments when I feel alienated, not knowing why something is doing what it does. But it’s when I encounter eureka moments, and fit together the pieces of the puzzle that their lives are, that the hours of waiting pay off. The feeling of being able to interact with a different species in mute understanding is beautiful. To find connections, to see the cycle of life play out in front of you, to understand why the locust eats the crop, or why the Rosy Starlings come after the locust flocks to eat them; to understand that this is balance, after all.
I no longer travel the same. Checking things off a list has become a thing of the past. My eyes and my senses feel more involved now. I like my patches of forests. It may be at home in Delhi, around me in Manipal or in a place where I am a “tourist”. I find my tree(s) and I find my spot, and I sit down and let these places take me with them, inviting me into their lives.
Ramit Singal is the author of the recently released A Birder’s Handbook to Manipal (2013, Manipal University Press). A lazy traveller and an avid birdwatcher, he dreams of living off a rucksack someday. You can find more on birdwatching in Manipal at Manipal - The Birdwatching Chronicles (manipalbirding.tumblr.com) and more of his photography at The Flights of the Fancy Falcon (outonthebounce.tumblr.com). Photographs by Ramit Singal. 15
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f e a t u r e s
SAFARVIA Language, Culture, Travel by SAMAR SAEED
Their passion to learn new languages, combined with their love to travel and the inspiration they get from meeting people across the world led to the creation of Safarvia. Friends since high school, its three cofounders, Yasmeen Smadi, Rula Yaghmour, and Rasha Fakhouri are enthusiastic and committed to spreading the culture of learning through travel. ‘’We strongly believe that language connects people, dismantles constructed barriers, and allows us to accept each other and our differences,’’ says Yasmeen. Their slogan, ‘’talk to the world’’ is a reflection of what Safarvia aims to achieve: encouraging people to learn a language while traveling, exploring different cities, and communicating with diverse people. As Rasha says, “the easiest and best way to learn a new language is to live in the country whose language you wish to learn, a country where using your mother tongue is not possible.’’ The name Safarvia is a combination of Arabic and Latin words. Safar means traveling in Arabic, and via is the Latin word for path. ‘’The name combines travel and the path to a new and unique experience. We wanted to include an Arabic word because we are Arabs and wanted our identity to be present in the name, and via was chosen because we started off BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
with Latin language courses,’’ says Rula. The story of Safarvia started when Yasmeen decided to travel to Valencia, her ultimate dream, to enhance her Spanish language skills. As she embarked on the planning of the journey, she was confronted with many obstacles. ‘’I did the research from scratch, because I didn’t find resources to guide me through the process of selecting suitable schools, registration, and finding proper accommodation. I booked everything online and was afraid that upon my arrival to Valencia I wouldn’t find the school. Seriously, I was very worried until I arrived at the school and thought thank God, it’s there,’’ says Yasmeen. This encouraged Yasmeen to approach her two partners, Rula and Rasha, with the idea for Safarvia. Safarvia offers language courses in different countries across Europe and the Middle East. Apart from providing advice on travel preparations, it also offers combined courses, such as language and fashion design or language and photography, among many others. One of their customers, for example, wanted to combine an Italian language course with Italian culinary classes.
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During her travels, Yasmeen combined her Spanish language course with tennis. ‘’It is not only an educational trip, but also a vacation. All our partner schools offer activities, so you not only learn a new language but you’re also introduced to the people and the city’’ says Rula. She adds that Safarvia is a one-stop-shop for learning a new language abroad. ‘’We did the research, we already went through the experience, and now we offer our insight for no extra charge. The schools we partner with are authentic and small- to medium-sized schools that aim to offer our students a personal experience and a friendly environment. Our prices are also
prolonged bureaucracy system to register Safarvia, as well as financial burdens, since they invested their own money in the project and refrained from involving external investors. Despite the obstacles, Safarvia turned out to be a success. Their userfriendly website allows you to navigate through the different courses offered and make your booking in approximately three minutes.
compatible with school prices, except that we offer travel advice, language options, and customized programs. If you want to go to Spain, for example, we can guide you to the city that best suits your interests,’’ says Rasha.
encouraged us to proceed with our project. Two weeks into launching our Facebook page, we received more than 1000 likes and the number continues to increase. This is phenomenal,’’ says Rula. Safarvia’s fans are not only from Jordan, but come from various parts of the world. ‘’Our outreach on Google analytics indicated that people viewed us from across the globe. The Middle East market is very new to many organizations and the fact that we operate from Jordan encouraged many to contact us for collaboration,’’ says Rasha. The cofounders constantly update their page and reply to messages to remain in direct contact with their followers. Their target audience is everyone interested in learning a new language while visiting a new city. Individuals who are 18 and above can book directly through the website; for high-school students, customized packages are arranged to best fit students’ needs.
Developing Safarvia was a challenging experience. As full-time employees, with backgrounds in the pharmaceutical industry and architecture, they lacked the experience to set up a new business, and time management stands as a serious obstacle. The co-founders conducted their own market research and depended on their friends and colleagues for support and advice. ‘’We are truly grateful to everyone that believed in our project and assisted us with the legal, organizational, and branding aspects. Without their constant encouragement and advice, Safarvia wouldn’t be possible,’’ says Yasmeen. The co-founders also encountered the
Since its launch, Safarvia has depended on social media for its outreach and communication strategy. ‘’Social media is instrumental for us. We are a web-based company and social media
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Learning Spanish in Madrid
The feedback Safarvia received from people has been extraordinary. ‘’People are enthusiastic and interested in the services we offer. We had to open the four language courses all at once due to demand from customers. They like the idea,’’ says Rasha. One of their followers captured the true essence of what Safarvia is when she said, ‘’[Safarvia is an] amazing initiative. It connects me with my past – when I travelled to Rome and later to Siena to pursue Italian language courses. Driven by passion and
dedication, I can master the language fluently. But what made the experience worthy was the travel; it brings authenticity to learning and immerses the learner into culture. Che bella italia.’’ Rula ended the interview by sharing her favorite quote by Ibn Battoutah, ‘’Traveling: it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.’’ The team behind Safarvia want more storytellers in this world.
safarvia.com www.facebook.com/Safarvia
Samar Saeed holds a B.A. from George Mason University and an M.A. in Near and Middle East Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She currently resides in Jordan. Photograph of the co-founders by Samar Saeed. This article was first published at Be Amman (beamman.com)
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Revisiting Joséphine
by JUDY RAE
a tour of Malmaison Many tourists traveling to Paris look for a dose of sugar-coated history by heading to the Palace of Versailles or the Palace of Fontainebleau. Both famous residences are dripping with opulent eye candy, but there is a hidden gem waiting patiently to be unwrapped by those interested in the private residence of one of France’s most famous couples. Château de Malmaison was the country home of the Emperor and Empress of France, Napoleon and Joséphine Bonaparte. It is where Joséphine spent her final years, and also where Napoleon wished to be taken after his escape from the island of Elba. Walking up to the chateau, you’re surrounded by aisles of roses and cone-shaped topiaries. Even on the rain-soaked day I arrived, the roses brought life to the surroundings. At its prime, there were 250 different varieties of roses planted by the Empress and her gardeners; to say that Joséphine loved flowers would be an understatement. It seems fitting that the Empress’s middle name was Rose. Thirty years after her death, a Russian Grand Duke named a rose in honour of Joséphine, called “Souvenir de la Malmaison”. Today, there are several floral-scented perfumes bearing the Empress’s name; and the day I went to Malmaison, I had the pleasure of discovering one made from an assortment of botanicals from Joséphine’s garden. Walking into the home felt oddly comfortable. Computers and telephones were replaced by writing desks and books. The space felt lived in. While much of the original furniture was auctioned off after Joséphine’s death in 1814, the house is filled with period pieces – some original, and many which came from the apartment that she and Napoleon had in the Tuileries Palace. Every room holds reminders of the famous residents, like the Imperial bumblebee and eagle, the monogramed letters “J” and “N”, and numerous portraits. Most of the paintings on the walls are from the Empress’s private collection; many were gifts from Napoleon. 21
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Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David, resides within Malmaison. It was originally commissioned by Charles IV, King of Spain from 1788-1808, to symbolize unity between the two countries. Napoleon was allegedly so touched by the King’s gesture that he requested three additional versions of the painting. There are details that may be missed at first glance, like the rocks in the lower left corner. If you look closely, you’ll see the names of Hannibal and KAROLVS MAGNVS IMP (a.k.a. Charlemagne), two other generals that crossed the Alps before Napoleon. This painting is a wonderful representation of how Napoleon viewed himself: larger than life.
Napoleon’s mahogany study left me almost speechless. At one time, there were over 40,000 leather bound books lining the walls. More than 500 have been found and placed back upon the shelves. The original volumes bear the embossed emblem “BP”, for Bonaparte. Hidden behind mirrors is a private staircase leading up to the Emperor’s apartment. Everything in the study is scholarly, like paintings of Homer and Voltaire, and the medallions of Apollo and Minerva. Even after the couple’s divorce in 1809, Joséphine was adamant that nothing change in her husband’s study. The next stop on the tour would rival the grandeur of Napoleon’s work space. Upstairs, I found myself at a standstill within the Empress’s Bedchamber. The room mimics a luxurious tent. Rich ruby-red fabrics drape the walls. The focal point is a golden canopy bed, topped with the Imperial eagle. It was here that Joséphine died in 1814, four days after catching a cold while on a walk in the gardens of Malmaison with the Tsar of Russia. It is said her that last word before dying was “Bonaparte”. Napoleon chose to visit Malmaison for two days after his escape from Elba. Even though he was no longer married to Joséphine, he wanted to pay respect to the memory of his first wife before embarking on another military campaign, Waterloo. Unfortunately, the second floor was not open when I toured Malmaison. Had it been, I would have seen not only an assortment of clothing worn by the Empress, but also original pieces from her court’s attire. The second floor also has the Train Room: a space dedicated to the lavishly long robes worn by Joséphine’s court. Documented inventory shows that the Empress, at one time, had 49 elaborate trains. She was known to select the colours for her train based solely on the furniture and wall coverings of the area she was attending. Joséphine was notorious for her extravagant spending. BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
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Last was a visit to the Carriage Pavilion, on the grounds of Malmaison. There are two pieces of history you won’t want to miss: a remnant on wheels from the Battle of Waterloo – the carriage used by the Emperor, seized by the Prussian army on June 18th, 1815; and the hearse used on St. Helena for the Emperor’s funeral. Before we left, my daughter, Audrey, pointed out something unique. She guided me over to a beautiful painting just off the entrance. It wasn’t the painting’s beauty that caught her eye; it was the location, perched on an easel in the corner of the room. What made the painting so spectacular was that this family portrait stood exactly where it was painted. You could see the fireplace in the background, the ornately painted walls, and the gold and crystal chandelier hanging above. With the exception of the subjects in the portrait, over 200 years later, nothing had changed within the room. Time may not stand still, but I think that in the case of Malmaison, if Joséphine and Napoleon were to walk through the door, they would feel right at home.
Judy Rae lives and works in southern Belgium with her husband and four daughters. She currently writes a monthly column for a publication serving the local NATO community. Her situation provides plenty of opportunities to pursue her passions, travel writing and the French language. Her sense of wonder and curiosity keep life interesting wherever she lands. She blogs at Abroad in Pinstripes (www.abroadinpinstripes.blogspot.be). All photographs courtesy of the author.
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The Golden Ear - a tribute to Wagner RATNADEEP GOPAL ADIVREKAR A selection of works from the artist’s recently concluded exhibition in Germany, commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of the legendary German composer, Richard Wagner.
The Ring, 96x192 inches, oil on canvas
Ratnadeep Gopal Adivrekar, born 1974, grew up in Mumbai, India. He received his BFA in painting with first class from Sir J. J. School of Art in 1997. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards like The Governors Prize, The Harmony Award for Best Emerging Artist and the Bendre-Hussain Scholarship. He has had solo exhibitions around the world, including: > Discourses of Prismatic Truths at Pavillon du Centanarie/Arcelor Mittal, Luxembourg, 2011 > Allegories of Talking Road at Galerie Sylvia Bernhardt, Germany, 2010 > Proverbial In(ter)ventions at the NUS Museum, Singapore, 2009 Group exhibitions include: > Power of Peace, UNESCO 2nd Global Forum, Bangkok, Thailand, 2009 > Imprints, Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan, 2007 > Indian Art, Lasalle-SIA College of Art, Sculpture Square Gallery, Singapore, 2006 Reviews in Time-Out, Asian Art News, Art and Deal, and Indian Contemporary Art Journal have critically appraised his work. The artist works in Mumbai, India & Berlin, Germany. For more information, visit his website (www.ratnadeepgopaladivrekar.com) BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
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Memoirs of the Unreal Cities, 48x68 inches, oil on canvas
To See, 48x68 inches, oil on canvas
The Golden Ear, 48x68 inches, oil on canvas
Untitled - Siegfried and Brunhilda, 21x28 inches, oil on canvas 28
Tribute to the Wagnerians, 60x90 inches, oil on canvas
Walk in the Symmetrical Forest, 48x68 inches, oil on canvas 29
Catharsis, 48x68 inches, oil on canvas
interviews
MEET THE ARTIST: RATNA Mumbai-based contemporary Indian artist Ratnadeep Gopal Adivrekar became the first Indian to exhibit his work at Wagner’s magnified opera in Germany in July 2013. Bricolage Magazine featured some pieces from this exhibition here. Medha Kulkarni talks to him about the process of his art, his inspiration and the Wagner exhibition in Germany. Let’s start at the beginning. When did you decide to be an artist? Interestingly, I actually rebelled against being an artist. Both my parents are artists and I’ve grown up in that art environment. There were always artists, writers and musicians at our place and I rebelled and opted for science in school. I was diligently pursuing my education, but then I had a sudden moment of clarity, and I knew at that moment that I could do nothing other than paint, other than be an artist. What has the journey been like since then? I have never looked back. I started seriously pursuing art as a career almost twenty years ago, and not a day has gone by since then that I haven’t painted. What medium do you work in and why? I enjoy mixed media work and am always experimenting. However, I do a lot of work with oils, and charcoal and acrylic. What is challenging about these mediums? They are both very different. With oils, the challenge is also it’s advantage: oils are a very strong medium. I have to clearly BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
visualize what I want to do and paint accordingly. The advantage is that it helps me to create structured work, but the disadvantage is that I can’t flow with it. If I make a mistake, I have to start afresh. I usually use oils for my larger works. Charcoals and acrylics, on the other hand, allow a lot of experimental freedom. I usually use these for smaller works. From where do you draw inspiration? I grew up in Mumbai and it is from this city that I draw my inspiration. The way people think is something I find extremely intriguing. Mumbai is a throbbing, pulsating city and its life force is its people. You have recently become the first Indian artist to exhibit his work at Wagner’s magnified opera in Germany. How did this opportunity come along? I had recently had an exhibition at Luxembourg, and had 34
ADEEP GOPAL ADIVREKAR by MEDHA KULKARNI
The Ring, 96x192 inches, oil on canvas. The central imagery of this painting is that of Dahi Handi, a festival celebrated in western India, especially Mumbai. It is a sport organised on Krishna Janmashtmi to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. Govinda players gather under the dahi handi (yoghurt pot), making a human pyramid to catch and then break the earthen pot hung high with a rope. The festival is popular in the textile mill areas of Mumbai, and played by mill workers due to their high physical endurance. In the painting, the crowd of Dahi Handi is placed against scenes from the Mahabharata (which resemble the stories of the Ring rendered in Chitrakathi, a folk art from Ratnagiri) and the characters of Wagner’s Ring, placed in ring formation.
the opportunity to meet with some of the best opera artists there. I was introduced to Wagner’s work and was immediately captivated. This is how the idea of an exhibition of paintings based on Wagner’s work came about. Take us through the creative process for this show. I spent some time in Germany, studying his works and visiting as many operas as I could. Wagner’s work draws from Nordic tales, and the themes in his work, such as greed, lust, love etc. are very similar to those in the Mahabharata. So I decided to juxtapose his work with the Mahabharata, as is evident in the paintings themselves. I made thousands of preliminary study sketches before I actually started working on the exhibition. How long did it take to finish the works for this exhibition?
exhibition? The most challenging part was the cultural gap. I studied Wagner’s works in depth but it is not possible for me, as an Indian, to understand some of the subtle, cultural nuances. Also, I was juxtaposing his work against something that perhaps a European audience would not be familiar with. I had to do a lot of preliminary research work for it and am pleased to say that the exhibition has drawn extremely positive responses from a diverse audience since its opening on the 19th [of July, 2013].
Almost a year and a half.
Your work for this exhibition consists of a lot of overlapping imagery. Is there any conceptual reason behind this style?
What challenges did you face while working on this
Absolutely. I have played with layering
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because it literally mimics Wagner’s style. Through layering, I attempted to simultaneously showcase three themes in one work, namely the main opera, the life of Wagner himself and the work of the Wagnerians. Who are the Wagnerians? The scholars and artists who have kept his work and its magic alive! What has been your greatest artistic success? It would have to be this Wagner show. The pan-cultural association was extremely challenging to work with. What is your next project? I am working on my next solo show, which will be at the Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai this October. After that, I have another show in New York next summer. Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring artists? Once you decide to be an artist, don’t ever stop painting. I start painting at 9 a.m. and sometimes only stop at 3 or 4 a.m. The more you practice, the better your work will be. Keep painting, stay inspired and do whatever it takes to constantly fuel your passion.
Medha Kulkarni is passionate about all things art, and holds an M.A. in History of Art from SOAS, University of London. She currently works at the G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Mumbai, and is a freelance art writer. She is the Arts Editor at Bricolage Magazine. Image courtesy of the artist.
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Sahana Balasubramanya
the language of dance by KRITI BAJAJ
PHOTOGRAPH BY KRITI BAJAJ
Sahana has been training under the renowned Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan for the last fifteen years in the Tanjavur style of Bharatanatyam. She has since performed solo across India, as well as in Japan, China, Sri Lanka, USA, Sweden and Latvia, and is a senior dance faculty member at Ganesa Natyalaya, New Delhi. An empanelled artiste of the ICCR, she is the recipient of several awards such as the Nritya Vilasini and Nritya Mani National Award. She also holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, and hopes to pursue a PhD in Mathematics.
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Could you give us a brief background of entertainment. Further, as most of these devadasis Bharatanatyam as a dance style? were from the so called “lower” castes, the art form began to lose respect. Bharatanatyam is considered a fire-dance - a mystic manifestation of the metaphysical element of fire in Rukmini Devi Arundale was instrumental in modifying the human body. A combination of expression (bha Dasiattam and bringing it to the attention of the - bhava), melody (ra - raga) and rhythm (ta - tala), West in the early 1920s. Though she belonged to Bharatanatyam is a traditional south Indian dance the Indian upper-caste, she espoused the cause form. The music that accompanies it is the Carnatic of Bharatanatyam. Recognizing the spiritual value style of music - the south Indian music school. of this art form, she not only learned the dance, but also presented it on stage. She also raised It is said that Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance Bharatanatyam to a puritan art form by removing at the temple at Chidambaram, and the great sage objectionable elements (mostly the Sringara, certain Bharata Muni observed his dance and codified the emotional elements evocative of the erotic). And movements into the Natya Shastra. The acrobatic so Bharatanatyam as we know it today came into karnas of Shiva, as depicted in this text, inspired being. the sculptures in the ancient temples of southern India. Under the deva-dasi system (which means What are some of the themes, mythological or those dedicated to the gods), the dasis derived a otherwise, that Bharatanatyam explores and dance form called Dasiattam from these sculptures, portrays? which they used to dance in praise of the gods in the Hindu pantheon, as part of the service of the temple. There are, of course, the purely mythological themes In return for their patronage to the temples, local which extol various episodes from Hindu mythology kings started inviting the temple dancers to dance and the epics. But in recent years, dancers are using in their courts, the occurrence of which created the language of Bharatanatyam to depict modern a new category of dancers - rajanarthakis - and themes. For example, my guru, Padmabhushan modified the technique and themes of the recitals. Saroja Vaidyanathan has choreographed an entire While a devadasi had to satisfy her own soul as she ballet on women’s empowerment, based on the danced unwatched and offered herself to the Lord, compositions of the poet Subramanium Bharati on the rajanarthaki’s dance was meant to be a form the same issue. of entertainment. Thus, the nature of the dance form went from being looked upon as devotional to What is even more commendable is that dancers
Sahana performing the Ardhanaareeshwara Ashtakam at Bangalore, 2012. Photograph by Giridhar Chandrasekar. BRICOLAGE MAGAZINE
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are now also finding new meaning in certain traditional compositions. For instance, the Ardhanaareeshwara Ashtakam, a composition of Shri Adi Shankaracharya which I have had the pleasure of presenting on stage, can be interpreted as a striking example of gender equality. The complete Ardhanaareeshwara being is indeed half man and half woman - Shiva and Parvati fused as one. Despite their stark contrast of femininity and masculinity, dancing the lasya and tandava (acknowledged as the feminine and masculine aspects of dance) respectively, they are together responsible for the process of creation.
also evolved a lot. I did perform as a contemporary dancer for my college team, which I enjoyed a lot, but not as much as Bharatanatyam. I think it would be unfair to run a comparison between the two, given that the language and grammar of both dance styles is so different. But for me, Bharatanatyam is not just a means of expressing myself, but also a pathway to god. I find some spiritual upliftment whenever I practice the art form or I am on stage. I think it helps me connect with myself better, and find that spark of divinity that exists within all of us.
As a choreographer, from where do you draw Another striking example is that of danseuse Mythili inspiration? Prakash in her production Stree Katha (Story of a Woman), where she depicts Shoorpanakha as a I like to draw inspiration from my own personal woman who questions typical notions of physical experiences, whenever possible. It is easy to tap into beauty, and why not conforming to those notions one’s own memories where themes like friendship, excludes her from the possibility of getting a desirable love, compassion, fear, wonder and sorrow are husband. Similarly, other themes explored in this way concerned. It makes the process of emoting natural, are the denunciation of the caste system (depicted by both for me and to be able to connect with the the episode in the Ramayana where Lord Rama meets audience. But there is such a plethora of emotions Shabari, and very willingly eats the fruit she offers that one encounters in various compositions, that him), of female infanticide (Kamsa being prevented it is nearly impossible for one person (especially from killing the female child Yog Maya) and so on. someone as young as me!) to have experienced all that. Feelings of motherhood, for example, or being What would you say is the relevance of ancient scorned by a lover, are therefore harder to depict. For dance forms, and how do they compare with such cases, I observe those around me and empathise contemporary dance styles? with them, or use my imagination to figure out how I would react in such situations. I think the scope of traditional dance forms in general and Bharatanatyam in particular is very vast. Apart The knack for choreographing the nritta part, or from keeping our culture and heritage alive, it has pure dance, which consists of basic adavus (steps) helped break geographic barriers. Many foreigners strung together, comes from knowing your own are now attempting to learn and teach this art form. body, an understanding of movement dynamics, the In India, it has leant itself to national integration, awareness of what suits you as a dancer and what with many dancers now using compositions of North looks aesthetic on stage. Experience, of course, helps Indian poets, like Meera Bai and Tulsidas. Several in this matter, and observing senior dancers is also a masterpieces from other countries have also been great way to develop this understanding; but I would depicted using Indian dance forms, such as Swan never copy them blindly. I believe in being true to Lake, which has been done in Mohiniattam (a dance myself. style from Kerala). I think this breeds tolerance and helps to reach out to a wider audience. The Where have you most enjoyed performing? reinterpretation of myths and legends in the modern context, as illustrated in the previous question, also I think that each recital is a unique experience, but adds to the relevance of ancient dance forms. The a few that really hold a special place for me are the universality of emotions and the fondness for rhythm recital for AID India at Duke University, USA, my makes it easy for people everywhere to appreciate performance at ICC, Colombo, and my show for SWAR dance. Saraswati at Delhi. The audience at these venues were just great and very involved with the music and In the same way, contemporary dance styles have dance. They made me realise that the art form is 38
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bigger than the artist, and that a language barrier does not impede audiences from appreciating our classical dances - at Colombo I received a standing ovation! I met a lot of wonderful people while interacting with the audience after the shows, which just adds to the charm of being a performing artiste.
my efforts to better myself as a dancer will continue. I see it as a journey, and not as a destination in itself. You have said that dance is like geometry in space. Do your academic pursuits and your artistic ones influence each other, or would you say that they coexist?
PHOTOGRAPH BY KRITI BAJAJ
With all your training, credentials, and love for dance, why haven’t you taken up dance full-time? Yes, I do believe that the dancers’ body is a sacred tool that we use to carve imagery in space. As danseuse Unfortunately, dance as a career is not an Geeta Chandran ji said recently, doing only one thing economically viable option. It requires institutional makes you myopic. I am also a mathematician, but support, and classical dance, like Bollywood and I don’t find that my academic pursuits influence Indian politics, tends to be a largely family centric my artistic abilities or vice-versa. Instead I would set-up. My sensible side urges me to dance because I say that they balance each other - one enriches my love to, and not because I am compelled to earn my brain, and the other my body and soul. So they do livelihood from it. Since I don’t believe that talent is co-exist in harmony for me, like different facets of my hereditary, dance will always be a part of my life, and personality.
Kriti Bajaj writes, blogs, wanders and dabbles in photography. Her work has been published at The Culture Trip, IIC Diary, Hamazor and Fezana. She blogs at Reflections (www.partingthesilk.blogspot.in). She is also the editor-in-chief of Bricolage Magazine. Photographs by Kriti Bajaj kritilbajaj.carbonmade.com and Giridhar Chandrasekar www.giridhar.co.in
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photography
The Silence of Diu by RASHMI SWAMY
We visited the island of Diu, off the coastline of Gujarat, not knowing what to expect. Steeped in its Portuguese heritage, it seemed like a land that was hardly visited - or maybe early December wasn’t the season. That said, isn’t that the best kind of place to be on a holiday? Most of the places we went to - the fort, the marshlands, the harbour, the beaches - seemed to be enveloped in a resounding silence, calm and with an old town charm. I registered that silence more while looking at these images later, which turned out more glaringly still than busy. But such was Diu, and one can only be mighty glad for that. You could walk down the quiet streets of the town and imagine being transported to an alternative set of Midnight in Paris. Silence speaks when words can’t.
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Rashmi Swamy was job seeking as a geneticist, but the varied interests took their turn at the end of 2011. She now makes a living as a photographer while studying counselling psychology. Loves travelling, dunking her coffee, gloomy days, and being a happy introvert. She lives and works in Bangalore, India. For more of her work, visit her blog (blog.rashmiswamy.com).
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