Installation at art fair halted after cops visit

NEWDELHI: An art installation at the India Art Fair celebrating the strength of women was disrupted by the police on Sunday when a visi t or complained against it, claiming it was a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Soon after the police’s visit, the organisers decided to close down the exhibit.

The exhibit, titled ‘The Wall’, was p l a c e d a t t h e I t a l i a n embassy booth, and was a live art performance put together by artists from across communities. Curated by Myna Mukherjee, the exhibit contained paintings, poetry recitations and songs, including Faiz Ahmed’s Faiz’s popular poem ‘Hum Dekhenge’.

“We were not making any political statement, neither was there any mention of CAA and NRC in the exhibit,” said Gargi Chandola, co-founder of PostArt Project, and was one of the artists.

She explained that it was about the power of women, and the need for them to take up spaces hitherto denied to them.

The police al l egedly disrupted the exhibit around 5pm, and said they were acting on an anonymous complaint suggesti ng t hat women “weari ng clothes like those in Shaheen Bagh” are carrying out a protest.

“We e xpl ai ned e ach and every couplet at the exhibit to the police, and they left after hearing us out. However, it is unfortunate that the India Art Fair authorities closed down the booth soon after,” said Myna Mukherjee, curator of the exhibition.

In a statement, organisers said while they “embrace the freedom of expression”, ensuring safety and security of their visitors was “paramount”. They said exhibitors were expected to share “details of all the activit i e s ” t o t ake pl ace at t hei r booths during the course of the four-day art event, which was not done for the performance in question.

Delhi Police did not respond, despite calls and text messages.

The India Art Fair was held from January 30 to February 2 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds.