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The Arts

Art as communicator

Firdaus Ali

Dust on the Road, an exhibition of cultural events and a fascinating fusion of art and activism, is to tour all major cities across Canada this year and the next.

The touring exhibition which opened in Toronto on June 23 at the York Quay Gallery is the first such presentation from the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, a Delhi-based organization, in Canada. It examines issues of everyday activism and human rights that concern both Indians and Canadians. SAHMAT was set up after the politically-motivated killing of Safdar Hashmi while performing in a street play in India.

Predictably perhaps, Dust on the Road addresses issues of secularism, human rights and social issues raised by SAHMAT and other like-minded organizations. It crosses cultural, religious and political barriers, relying only on art to communicate.

The project is conceived and developed by Hoopoe Curatorial, and is just one of many of similar events planned on common issues faced by diverse communities. The exhibit was opened by an inaugural talk by photographer and SAHMAT founder-member Ram Rahman.

Ram Rahman, who has worked with artist Safdar Hashmi said, "The show attempts to give a small glimpse of the work and strategies we have evolved in India in response to a religiously-motivated situation. The participation of artists from Toronto only extends the feeling and sentiments of this exhibit. We are excited that the work which has a specific context can be seen in a dialogue with work from another continent and culture."

Dust on the Road also showcases the works of Canadian artists Stephen Andrew, Carol Conde, Karl Beveridge and Amelia Jimenez, among others. The exhibition's title is taken from the title of a book of the collected writings of activists by Bengali author Mahasweta Devi. After touring Canada, Dust on the Road will go to India.

The exhibition is the brainchild of Phinder Dulai, a poet and journalist based in Vancouver, and Peter White, a curator and writer based in Montreal.

The items displayed in the exhibition include postcards on Gandhiji, designed by artists across the world on his 125th birth anniversary. There is the section 'Gifts for India', commemorating 50 years of India's independence, besides banners, posters, cartoons, photographs, graphic presentations and panels.

One section, Hum Sab Ayodhya has traversed through various continents describes the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya.

Rajinder Arora, a SAHMAT member from India, said at the advent of the show, "The demolition of the Babri masjid in 1992 shocked intellectuals and was a setback to the secular movement in India. The deconstruction of history in the panels is actually deconstructing myths about Ayodhya. It aims at presenting a clear and historically astute picture to the public in terms of demographics, religion, lifestyles and the beliefs of the people of the area," he said.

Also featured at the exhibit are items from mobile exhibitions aimed at the grassroot level in India. Pictures of tax drivers connoting secular messages streak the walls. The show has managed to attract audiences from all walks of life -- tourists, local activists and people from the street.

A key organizer is Jamelie Hassan, an Ontario-based artist and the driving force behind the Hoopoe Curatorial (The 'hoopoe' is a migratory Indian bird with a large wingspan). Hassan feels that everyday values are dramatically highlighted when artists respond to disparities in society. In such cases, the artists' reactions trigger off changes that are welcome and wanted in society, he says.

Dust on the Road will later travel to McIntosh Gallery in western Ontario later this month.

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