Course Work

During the last fortnight Gitanjali Dang and Oindrilla Maity have spent most of their time at the library in Khoj studios. The participants of the first curatorial residency programme at the organisation,the duo have been carefully sifting through the archives, reading up on art history and artwork of their interest,making notes that will assist them to put together exhibitions in January. “The initiative intends to bridge the gap between artists,curators,critics and allow for work beyond the paradigm of private galleries,” says Pooja Sood,director,Khoj,who is planning more such initiatives for curators.

Nods of agreement comes from Mumbai-based Dang and Kolkata-based Maity. “There are certain constraints when one works with a private gallery, but here we have more independence,” says Maity,32,who like Dang has quite a handful of art shows to her credit. The guest lecturer at Faculty of Visual Arts,Rabindra Bharati University ,Kolkata,is working on a project in Delhi which traces families who migrated from Ashoknagar,near Kolkata,to Delhi. Having interviewed 12 families,she is on the lookout for more.

Dang,29,on the other hand,is planning an interactive mall-based project. She will be placing artwork across Select Citywalk mall in Saket and handing clues to participants for a treasure hunt.

Back in their hometowns after September 20 —when the six-week long residency ends—the duo have a list of projects lined-up. The residency,for instance,has led Dang to conceptualise of a “White Box”,which will feature videos that will travel with her. “The idea comes from the portable DVD player. I will soon request artists to contribute their work,” says Dang,who was in Delhi in April to curate the group show titled By George,that comprised works by artists Gigi Scaria,Baiju Parthan and Riyas Komu among others. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four resonated the underlying theme of the show which questioned surveillance in public and domestic sphere.