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21 Bracken Ferns (Working title)
Concept note: During the summer of 2023, I had an opportunity to visit different parts of Europe, since I was in Italy for my year-long artist residency. During this small tour of Europe, I had made a visit to Berlin. Right outside of Berlin is a concentration camp that held prisoners during World War 2, built by the Nazis. I often take photos extensively throughout my trips, and my camera roll is a testament to that. As one can imagine, the visit to the camp was deeply moving, albeit in disturbing ways. But when I came back from the almost trance-like visit, I was surprised to see my camera roll with only three images.
Concept note: During the summer of 2023, I had an opportunity to visit different parts of Europe, since I was in Italy for my year-long artist residency. During this small tour of Europe, I had made a visit to Berlin. Right outside of Berlin is a concentration camp that held prisoners during World War 2, built by the Nazis. I often take photos extensively throughout my trips, and my camera roll is a testament to that. As one can imagine, the visit to the camp was deeply moving, albeit in disturbing ways. But when I came back from the almost trance-like visit, I was surprised to see my camera roll with only three images.
>> Concept presentation made to fellow residents and program director Carlos Casas on 17th November, 2024
I’d like to think my work anchors itself on this border, of humans and flora. Specifically between human suffering and flora. Imagining parallel realities where these flora would be allowed to discuss humans and humanity. The flora that have witnessed the camps, but also the flora that now witnesses Kharkiv and Gaza, the flora that witnessed Jallianwala Bagh and Manipur now.
In my final piece, I want to place these flora in an arrangement that aims to invoke one of the most important human rooms in the world, the United National Security Council, where the big decisions about conflict, and rights and wrongs are decided. The flora I picked is a type of fern; ferns being one of the most abundant flora families across the world, that is present in every continent on earth except the poles. In my installation, these ferns participate in re-enactments of two very recent UNSC meetings, meeting 9421 on Ukraine, and meeting 9439 on the Palestinian question.
The work is currently taking shape in Fabrica Research Centre, Treviso, Italy. It will be shown at the semester-end exhibition titled ‘Blooming in Embers’ that will take place on the 16th of February, 2024 at the same venue.