Event 2: Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram

 

  Before seeing this exhibition, I basically knew nothing of Indian art. When I think of Indian garments, I instantly think of sari and head scarves. However the exhibition is nothing like what I imagined. It is very edgy, bold and not conservative at all. The show is composed of two parts as the name suggests: Gagawaka, which is a series of sculptural garments, and Postmortem, a collection of sculptures and models related to human anatomy.

  The garments in Gagawaka are all made of medical supplies and recycled materials. The dress above is my favorite piece from the collection and it seems to made of old leather boots. I love the concept of turning trash and useless stuff in to fashionable art pieces. 

  Compared to Gagawaka, Postmortem is much more strange and bizarre. In this photo there is a female mannequin whose arms and head have been cut off, and there is a plastic child tied to her back. Since there were no description of the sculpture, I will have to speculate that the meaning behind this sculpture is the hardship of mothers raising their children. 

  Overall, I prefer the Gagawaka part of the exhibition for its fashion elements. I wish they had descriptions of the sculptures since they are a bit hard to comprehend for viewers. I would recommend this exhibition to those of you who have stereotypes of Indian art, because for me it was mind-blowing.