“Ruminations on Labour” at Experimenter in Kolkata

Image: “Ruminations on Labour”. 9 May – 31 July 2018, Experimenter, Kolkata. Invite. Image courtesy and Experimenter, Kolkata.

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by Amita Kini-Singh

“Ruminations on Labour brings together 3 individual artists and a collective and showcases works across various media, including sculpture, installation and painting.

The show is on display at Experimenter’s new gallery space at Ballygunge in Kolkata,  which was inaugurated earlier this year. Art Radar spoke to the artists in a panel discussion to shed more light on their group exhibition and their intentions.

Exploring the meaning of labour

Ruminations on Labour at Experimenter in Kolkata, is an exhibition that explores the act of labour and its politics through the eyes of artists Prabhakar Pachpute, Praneet Soi, Raqs Media Collective and Sanchayan Ghosh, using the vocabulary of their artistic practices. They ‘ruminate’ over what labour means to them in an increasingly globalised and capitalist world, and make disparate points of entry into this subject area using a variety of media including sculpture, installation and painting. Such a deep inquiry into labour is crucial in the 21st century as our dependence on technology and automation has exponentially increased, with a corresponding reduction in human interface – both in manufacturing processes and in the social context. In “Ruminations on Labour” (PDF download), the artists bring together a wide range of practices that build a dialogue on the topic using folk traditions, craft practices, socio-political commentary and historical references.”

Read more here on Art Radar Journal.

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Sanchayan Ghosh, ‘Cross Exam My Nocturn Doubts – ‘Labour Reconciled’’ (installation view), 2018, brick dust, lime, jaggery and khoyer mortar slabs, LED Text on board, sound, books and journals. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Prabhakar Pachpute, ‘Collective Memories’ (detail), 2017, plaster and paint, dimensions variable, suite of 5. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

RAQS Media Collective, ‘An Afternoon Unregistered on the Richter Scale’, 2011, video projection of treated and animated archival photograph, 3-minute loop. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Prabhakar Pachpute, ‘Miners Day Dream’, 2017, dental plaster, plywood, wire mesh and resin and wood dust, 36 in x 48 in x 48 in. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Praneet Soi, ‘Kumartuli Printer – Notes on Labour’ (carousel projector detail), 2010, 80 slides, rotary carousel projector and drawings. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Sanchayan Ghosh, ‘Cross Exam My Nocturn Doubts – ‘Labour Reconciled’'(installation view), 2018, brick dust, lime, jaggery and khoyer mortar slabs, LED Text on board, sound, books and journals. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Prabhakar Pachpute, ‘Collective Memories’ (detail), 2017, plaster and paint, dimensions variable, suite of 5. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.

 

Prabhakar Pachpute, ‘The Wide Divergence of the Cotton Gin’ (installation view), 2017, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 96 in x 156 in. Image courtesy the artist and Experimenter, Kolkata.