In the third piece of the Inside/Outside series, Renuka Rajiv explores the vulnerabilities of boundaries, broken bodies, feminism, futurism, failure, landfills, and planetary cohabitation.
Podcast
Water and Caste: Part Two Art, Collective Memory, and Anti-Caste history
In part two of the Stories from the Subverse Water and Caste series, Dr Swati Kamble speaks to four creators about how Dr. Ambedkar and the Mahad Satyagraha have influenced their artistic journeys and repertoires. Listen to her conversations with Malvika Raj, Sudharak Olwe, Rajyashri Goody, and Nandesh Umap here. Artwork: Shrujana Shridhar
Personal Essay
In Ebb and Flow
In the second installment of the Inside/Outside series, artist Devika Sundar maps the infinite connections between water and the human body. Seeking inspiration from ancient philosophies and water bodies, in this personal essay she writes about fragility, strength, and the unpredictability of a changing body.
Personal Essay
Standing Here on the Outside
In the first essay of the Inside/Outside series, Joshua Muyiwa expands on the labour of being on the outside, and protecting your tender insides. He sets the scene for three extraordinary pieces of work from fellow writers and artists, which explore the boundaries of their bodies, gender, and sexuality.
Podcast
Water and Caste: Part One – History of Mahad Satyagraha
Our podcast Stories from The Subverse returns with a second offering. Meet our host Swati Kamble, an anti-caste intersectional feminist researcher-activist. In Part one, Swati guides us through the history of Mahad Satyagraha, the march for equality, dignity, and access to water, led by anti-caste leader and statesman, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on 20th March 1927. These are underpinned by two inspiring conversations with Disha Wadekar, advocate and Hira Kanoje, a local anti-caste activist from Mumbai. Artwork credit: Shrujana Shridhar.
Learning event
Water for All
On 4th and 12th March 2023, Vyaktitva Learning Labs, a media literacy initiative, conducted a two- part session for children on Water for All in Navi Mumbai, India. This session was in commemoration of the 96th anniversary of the Mahad Satyagraha and features lovely artworks by the children. Art credit: Nirvana, 11 years.
Interview
Archiving Somali Folktales: Language, Song, and Rhythm as Old as the World
For Numbi Arts, an arts and heritage organisation in the UK, retelling a popular Somali folktale is an attempt to archive their oral histories. Founder Kinsi Abdulleh and animator Aindri C tell us about preserving old stories, and their new film ‘Dhagdheer’.
Poetry
Mermaid’s Lament
Words by Lina Krishnan and Artwork by Lucia Dami. The siren call of the sea, the river entering a dream and can landlocked limbs find their way? Artwork credit: Lucia Dami
Article
Communing with the Cosmos
A Postmodern architectural experiment, the Cosmic House, is the legacy of Charles Jencks and his family. Their family home is filled with referential, fascinating, and distinctive design. Anjali Alappat writes about her visit to this eccentric museum in the heart of London.
Blog
The Beach House: Watery Transits and Muddy Logics
In this blogpost, Susan Mathews closes out Season 2 of The Subverse by delving into what we’ve learnt from our watery preoccupations. Channelling Douglas Adams, we embrace some muddy logics, explore life at water’s edge, and water as passage and porous border. Artwork credit: Adrija Ghosh
Personal Essay
The Slow Pleasures of Analog
Returning to analog altered Vivek Muthuramalingam’s relationship with photography. Sharing a set of images that emerged from his experiments with analog photography, he writes about finding inspiration in a bakery in Goa, and setting up his own darkroom during the pandemic with his artist friends.
Blog
An Evolving Arc(x)
The host of Arcx, Anjali Alappat, shares what we’ve learnt from season one, our hopes for season two, and what should be on your reading list regardless.