Artistic encounters with reality

Reflecting on the socio-political turmoil around the world, curator Myna Mukherjee brings together a slew of global artists whose works aim to forge conversations around the same

- RIYA YADAV

A DANCING man in a long, red billowy skirt, is frozen mid-stance, back slightly arched, face hidden behind his arm as he tucks it in the crook of his elbow. His bare torso is accentuated by the winding ropes cinching his waist, tied in a thick knot as if holding up the flailing skirt. This photograph by Iranian artist Babak Haghi is accompanied by a digital rendition of the same man. Only this time, the swirling cloth does not just flow waist down, but also conceals his face, resembling a mirror image.

Donning the swirling outfit, this man appears like a fish in water. Haghi has named his photomontage ‘Red Fish’, a symbolic motif that is regarded as a medium of transformation and freedom in Greek mythology. The artist explains in his statement that a red fish ‘dances in a certain amount of water, and perhaps at the same time, its life ends. It has the passion of the sea and it dances its joy and sad ness away.’ This work calls the viewer’s attention to the current political unrest in Iran, where artists are detained and banned from showcasing their art forms after supporting the protests.