Over the past 5 years, we have been unpacking the idea of collaborative socially engaged practices through our work with communities in the Chitpur area of Kolkata. This work has helped us challenge our own perspectives on the role of art in society.
The first area of exploration has been the ‘why’- why do artistic practices need to be socially engaged, what affect can these practices have? Our work has helped us understand that when artists engage actively in society we can create a space for underrepresented narratives and in the process, change the existing narratives. We can also catalyze new interactions that shift existing hierarchies. We can change how people see their position and role in society. And enact possibilities of alternate futures.
The first area of exploration has been the ‘why’- why do artistic practices need to be socially engaged, what affect can these practices have? Our work has helped us understand that when artists engage actively in society we can create a space for underrepresented narratives and in the process, change the existing narratives. We can also catalyze new interactions that shift existing hierarchies. We can change how people see their position and role in society. And enact possibilities of alternate futures.
As a part of the project "Our Unfamiliar Streets" by Ruchira Das and the students of Sri Bidya Niketan School the girls stepped out of their comfort zones to actively engaging with people in their neighbourhood and created a narrative about their neighbourhood from their own unique perspective.
The second area of exploration has been the ‘how’- what does a collaborative practice look like? To start with we have had to let go of preconceived notions about our collaborators- recognizing that individuals and groups occupy multiple identities, positions of power, and communities. We also have let go of preconceived notions about outcomes, and instead we have started our projects by first finding people in communities who find value in collaborating with us, and then identifying a shared purpose, or at least a congruent purpose.
Forming relationships, being conscious of power dynamics and sharing the power of representation are essential to a collaborative process. The role of the artist often becomes more about creating unusual encounters, unfamiliar interactions, and creating room for challenging and questioning the status quo.
We start by creating a framework that can then be owned and occupied in different ways by their collaborators. We find that different local collaborators want to play different roles- not everyone wants to participate in art making, so our projects create spaces for these different roles. We also create space for iterations and feedback, and distribute authorship, so collaborators can then perhaps take the projects forward in their own ways.
Forming relationships, being conscious of power dynamics and sharing the power of representation are essential to a collaborative process. The role of the artist often becomes more about creating unusual encounters, unfamiliar interactions, and creating room for challenging and questioning the status quo.
We start by creating a framework that can then be owned and occupied in different ways by their collaborators. We find that different local collaborators want to play different roles- not everyone wants to participate in art making, so our projects create spaces for these different roles. We also create space for iterations and feedback, and distribute authorship, so collaborators can then perhaps take the projects forward in their own ways.
As a part of the project Jorabagan Encounters, Sumona Chakravarty created a game, and police officers and leaders like Assistant Commissioner Mr Alok Sanyal, took on the role of guides and storytellers, transforming their interactions with the public during the project. Written as a part of Sumona Chakravarty and Nilanjan Das's grant application to KHOJ International Artists Association
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