Creative Commons Some rights reserved Bharath Haridas 2009 This booklet is a documentation for the soundwork produced under the Kabir workshop which was on for a duration of two months in Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology Bangalore
Printed in Bengaluru
“Socrates .. if you are serious,.. Wont’t human life have to be turned Completely upside-down” -Plato
“If you don’t have an intimate, immediate understanding of the poem, you have nothing. If you report your personal interpretation, why should anyone believe you?” Lind Hess : The Bijak of Kabir
introduction
Ulatbansi itself poses a challenge to one’s mind as it twists and turns purely through words and ideas. This body of poetry evokes a spectrum of feelings and spurts of wisdom. How do you approach this as an artist or designer? My musings with ulatbansi produced a collection of poetry and images that occurred to me spontaneously. How can these personal reflections interface with an audience in the spirit of Kabir’s poetry? In this attempt I created soundscapes which can collate my ideas and feelings. It integrates the power of text to capture formless ideas and sounds that can create a mood in which these words could resonate with an audience. These words take shape and disappear with the passage of time in the same spirit of oral transmission. Since the poetry demands a personal inquiry, this body of work tries to capture the various “internal dialogues” within the poetry and one within a listener/reader. These dialogues could be happening at different levels and different spaces challenging established ideas.
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please read the following before or after listening to the work
There is a constant wind to one side. And you might be combing your hair to the same. What if it’s the wind from the fan Or is the wind that hits while on a roller coaster ride? When the Giant Wheel turns, you do get to stay on top for some time But you finally have to come down to go home or you might get locked inside. And on your way home the rain falls from beneath. But you might not open the umbrella to the floor. And at home the robot seems to (be the) shrink And this consultancy is regarded to be the absolute. The ultimate problem solver Who volunteers to fix everything. Division by zero resulted in their paralysis. The devices needed rework The garbage man waited for the bin outside the doors. But they kept on shopping. The climate had to finally pick up. Cyclone eye with its peaceful eye Destroyed all that was right(left) Did the garbage man wait?
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the process
Our process started from attempts at interpreting and visualising the poetry which felt futile after a series of discussions. Then we moved onto ideas inspired or provoked by the poetry. Then the class moved onto creating products based on this inspiration to deliver the poetry in different forms or some of its essence. Meanwhile I felt that this poetry requires a personal inquiry as the poetry itself asks one to, and the power it has to psychologically or experientially affect you. Now what is this effect? Should I explore other devices which posses the power to do the same thing? Do I have the understanding to contribute to the body of such work or should I share my experiences triggered by this poetry? How do I share such experiences which are abstract and don’t fit the limits of the language we normally use? The various experiences Reading the English translations of the various ulatbansi poetry created an instantaneous, fierce, raw, dark and disturbing mood which holds a surprisingly peaceful insight.
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metahphors and plausibles to express the psychological experience of ulatbansi and its probable signs
The man who combed his hair to one side. The turban which got stuck in his head. The town which rests in peace after the cops and criminals killed each other. The computer which is no longer binary The hour glass which stopped working The constant wind which gave an angle to all trees The car which has no reverse gear The sand hour glass which stopped working
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the medium of sound
The idea of a personal experience requires an intimate interaction with a work. The headphones recreate an intimacy which could trigger an introspective experience for the viewer. Soundscapes become a time based medium which shares many qualities of the form in which Kabir poetry was disseminated and at the same time enables a single artist to create a strong experience for an individual.
Track and Titles 1. 2. 3. 4.
The annoying consultant and client 01:14 The self referential anti-debate instructions The hen egg 1:02 Its all been a pleasant ride 1:16
1:26
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Listen Find headphones around the venue and listen. Or Download the tracks through Bluetooth and listen to them when you reach back home. The passkey is always 321.. Or Download the tracks from the website and view other works created in the process and the dive deeper into the origins of the various references within the work and comment all on: www.ulatfix.blogspot.com
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