On Thursday morning, a small group of people arrived at the Swami Vivekananda Metro Station. Amidst many a curious onlooker, they assembled an innocuous-looking wooden, hexagonal structure, their portable art gallery. Some people looked on in silent, unabashed curiosity, others ventured a question or two. "Laingikadaurjanya (sexual harrassment)!" one man exclaimed in Kannada, after a brief conversation with the artists, before shuffling away in full approval. Another woman, Shobha, sat down for a conversation, happy to discuss her own experiences and evidently surprised that she was allowed to feel uncomfortable with them. That's how Traversing Experiences, a public art installation curated by Shaunak Mahbubani and Manasa Raj, did just what it intended, even before it was thrown open to the public.
The portable art gallery was designed by Eduardo da Conceicao, an artist-slash-architect as a collaboration between Sandbox Collective and the Goethe Institute. Three local artists - Neha Mehta, Priyanka K and Heena Pari, will display their works on it this weekend. "We have two sections, one is experiential and the other deals with information and solidarity," said Mahbubani, who met his co-curator Manasa, at a workshop on sexual harassment at the Alternative Law Forum in Bengaluru. "Ever since the idea arose, I have been talking to people around me and what I learned was a revelation. I always thought that this sort of harassment was an anomaly, a one-off occurrence in people's lives. But it happens frequently, to everybody who spoke to me."
The experiential section has been designed by Neha Mehta, a graduate from Chitrakala Parishath. Participants walk through a narrow corridor-like structure, from which metal hands protrude. "The hands will rub against people inappropriately," explained Manasa Raj. "The idea is for those who haven't experienced sexual assaults of any kind, both men and women, to understand what it feels like." This, they hope, will encourage conversations, ones that most women would rather avoid having, especially with men. "That's where the title came from as well - to bridge the gap between those who have experienced sexual harassment and those who don't."
The second section - information and solidarity, is aimed at educating people on legal recourse, persuading them to talk about their experiences and encouraging empathy. "We're trying to keep the whole thing very visual," Mahbubani remarked. Artist Priyanka K is working with hand-drawn comic strips that outline sexual harassment through pictures - interacting in public spaces does limit the use of words. “My work encourages women to recognize sexual assault and to report it,” said Priyanka. "The more we speak out, the more likely we are to break the stigma. For instance, how many people know stalking is a punishable offence?"
All this made bringing art into a public space that much more vital. "It comes with its own challenges, a gallery space is designed to cater to an artist. Working in a public space can make even the smallest detail a challenge," said Raj. "Galleries can be perceived as intimidating, however and since we want to reach out to people from all walks of life, it makes sense for us to come to them. The challenges are simply part of the experience!" The installation is being sponsored by the Goethe Institut and the venue is courtesy BMRCL.
What: Traversing Experiences
When: 4 pm, April 7 to April 9
Where: Swami Vivekananda Metro Station
