The Marks of Our Time

The Marks of Our Time

Performance 2015
Siddhartha Art Gallery
Curated by Pranab Man Singh

January 27, 2015 – On this day, the artist remembers his grandfather, Chiniya Chitrakar, who passed away on the eighth day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh, 2032 B.S. He shaves his head and wears white. He is silent. On this day, the artist grieves for this city and this country. The artist has not forgotten his past; the artist has not forgotten his place.
This participatory performance is a testament to our times. It recalls our past and all those who have contributed to making this moment, this performance, possible. It embodies the artist’s frustrations with all those whom we marked on our ballots. It contemplates what all those marks have meant and what lies ahead of us.

This performance is dedicated to the artist’s grandfather. Back in the 1930s, the late Chiniya Chitrakar was one of the first Chitrakars to move his studio from its traditional space in the attic to the more entrepreneurial ground floor. Throughout his life, he followed the steps of his forefathers and made a living through both ritualistic and commercial art. His work and life made this artist’s life and work possible. He passed away on the eighth day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh, 2032 B.S. His deeds, like most of our ancestors, are forgotten to all but those who have heard the orated accounts of the artist’s family.

We asked audience to be part of this performance. Pull out a name of one marked to write our laws. Write out that name on the artist’s body and consign him to the pages of our collective history. Together, we left a mark upon our time.