AN EXHIBIT AT INDIA ART FAIR EXPLORES WHAT LINKS AVESTA, ORAL TORAH, RIG VEDA
respond to previous entries in any of the handmade diaries left on a bookshelf.
The result is an open book with no beginning or end.
ROOM FOR EVERYONE
The idea for this project first came to
Butail three years ago, and began to take shape after she won the BMW Art Journey award in 2017. This helped fund her travels through Yazd, Jerusalem, London, Varanasi, Pune, New Delhi and Mumbai.
Observing how the oral traditions were performed and preserved, Butail found striking similarities.
“People tend to think that these traditions are primarily about religion, but they are primarily about the ecology. Knowledge of ecological systems is passed on through all the oral knowledge systems that I studied. For example, they all have a water prayer or ritual,” Butail says. Moreover, most traditions use copper vessels to store water, adds Reha Sodhi, curator of the exhibition. “To mirror this, a copper water pipe runs through the show.”
Where the traditions differ most is in sound and rhythm of the hymns. These are key elements and ‘algorithms’ from that Butail incorporates in her art through the use of audio clips, geometric sculptures and interactive installations.
Videos play above a pitched white tent, offering glimpses of Butail’s journey and the performances of various practitioners that she interacted with. What the viewer experiences is an immersive journey through time and space.
“I am a very big fan of Astha’s and have seen the development of her practice of the last couple of years,” says Jagdip Jagpal, director of the India Art Fair. “I thoroughly enjoyed this show and felt it displayed her talent and unique approach.”
At a time when information is most commonly accessed at a click, ‘In The Absence Of Writing’ reconnects the viewer with a more tangible, visceral alternative.
“Even in the contemporary world, it is possible to incorporate the practice of oral history traditions in modern education systems,” says Reha.
As an installation of a Rig Veda phrase puts it, “There is room for everyone.”