top of page

'ध्वनि' (Resonance),Printed flyer, Distemper paint on discarded plastic film poster sheets,dimensions variable
(largest paintings were of 609.6x243.84cm and the smallest paintings were of 182.88x60.96cm) and Gujarati Folk music,2018

'ध्वनि' (Resonance) was an extension of the dialogue created from 'Chalo Jamye' [Lets Eat] with the migrating farming communities of Vadodara City on 10th of April 2018. It was an initiative to develop dialogues, arguments, conversations about the temporal presence of these communities  in and around Vadodara.

The idea was also to include the inhabitants of Vadodara city into this dialogical process. Flyers were designed both in Gujarati and English. More than 2000 flyers were spread along with the news papers. In the poster there was a phone number given which would allow anyone to call me and know more details about the project “Dhwani” (Resonance) and how they can join it. The QR code placed in both the flyers are a link to Govt. of India’s Scheme for Shelters for Urban Homeless under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission.

'ध्वनि'  (Resonance) was developed as a result of one year long community interaction and multiple workshops between me and members of the migrating farming communities.Folk music from Gujarat sung by the community members was the main vehicle for communication. The musicians were Chirag Bhai, Paru Bhai, Meena Ben and their extended family.The project used references from contemporary theater productions and was influenced from set designs done for IPTA (Indian People's Theater Association). The cut-outs used for the projects were painted on discarded plastic film poster sheets which the community members also uses to create informal settlements for living.

'ध्वनि'  was a complex dialogical work that addressed layers of the underlying importance of socio-cultural associations regarding class and caste struggle present in Indian social fabric.The performers had direct conversations about their living conditions and issues related to Indian agrarian crisis with the present audience. More than 200 people joined 'ध्वनि' (Resonance) including, the people of Vadodara city and the students and teachers of M.S. University Baroda. The project was only possible because of the generous support received from Chirag Suthar, Sanjay Painter, Adhika Ferdinand Aayush Gulati, Narendran Nair, Sharvari Deshpande, Pratigya Singh Patel, Oshin Thakkar, Sabyasachi Bhattacharjee and Professors from faculty of fine arts, M.S.University of Baroda.



 

bottom of page