A New Equation For War, Death And Democracy

Source Outlook India by Ajay Gudavarthy
Democracy was invented in history to tame power, force and violence. It was a way of questioning the natural superiority of individuals or collectives based on race, faith, gender, or ethnicity. It was said: ‘democracy denatures power’. Above all, democracy was imagined as an antonym of violence. This optimism was true even at the end of the 20th century after Fascism stood defeated. But at the turn of the 21st century, not only are democracies seemingly dying but they are also erupting into mass violence and death. Much of the violence is happening not against, but in the name of democracies. Today’s mass violence is a way of actualising the ‘general will’ of the majority. The principle of majority has collapsed into majoritarianism, and democracies that came about to tame power look domesticated and helpless. Death and democracy have a new equivalence that has escaped conventional political explanations. Today, there is a renewed need to explain the political through the lens of death.
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Arpita Singh: Remembering at Serpentine North

Source Martin Cid by Lisbeth Thalberg
The exhibition at Serpentine North features a range of Singh’s works, from large-scale oil paintings to intimate watercolours and ink drawings. These pieces reflect her exploration of themes such as gender, motherhood, feminine sensuality, and vulnerability, alongside metaphorical representations of violence and political unrest in India and beyond. Singh’s art resists singular interpretation, inviting viewers to engage with her work on multiple levels. “Remembering” builds upon Serpentine’s legacy of showcasing pioneering artists who have yet to receive due recognition in London. This exhibition follows in the footsteps of successful presentations featuring artists like Faith Ringgold, Luchita Hurtado, and James Barnor. To complement the exhibition, Serpentine will publish a comprehensive catalogue, featuring contributions from key authors, thinkers, and creatives who will illuminate Singh’s significant role in the contemporary art landscape.
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Bengal Biennale Nov 29, 2024 - January 5, 2025

Source Bengal Biennale
In Bengali, ‘Anka’ signifies both the act of drawing and the drawing itself. It is when thought becomes visible, and the hand traces the contours of imagination. ‘Banka,’ on the other hand, speaks of something aslant, indirect. It suggests a deviation, a path that meanders rather than rushes straight ahead. The phrase ‘Anka-Banka’ conjures the image of a winding river or a serpentine path, forever shifting. It is an apt metaphor for life and art, where the journey is often more significant than the destination, where meaning is found in the curves and bends rather than in a straight line. This edition of the Biennale embraces this very spirit with a contemporary outlook. It embodies the idea of always finding a way, of moving forward through twists and turns and celebrating the vitality that emerges from such movement. Here, in this gathering of artists and their works and installations, we witness the spirit of ‘Anka-Banka,’ the relentless pursuit of expression marked in the journey.
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Art across arenas

Source The Telegraph by Srimoyee Bagchi
Art biennales, beginning 130 years ago in Venice in 1895, are, today, global cultural showcases, bringing together contemporary artists to display innovative works and foster artistic dialogue and creativity. The first edition of the Bengal Biennale: Anka Banka — Through Cross-Currents, which is unfolding across at least 27 venues spread out through Calcutta and Santiniketan, is no different. The overwhelming message of the Bengal Biennale is perhaps this: art should be accessible to everyone, not limited to galleries. It needs to be seen and experienced in everyday life. Take, for instance, Paresh Maity’s giant jackfruit installation, which sat squat outside Victoria Memorial Hall and bewildered unsuspecting visitors (one of whom marvelled about whether it might have been the favourite fruit of Queen Victoria). Inside the hall, Robert Clive proudly guarded a nakshi kantha of tales from the Ramayana, while visitors tried to decipher the chiaroscuro of Jorasanko’s interiors as seen in Gaganendranath Tagore’s cubist works, displayed alongside the most magnificent watercolours of the Arabian Nights by Abanindranath Tagore.
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