Swapnaa Tamhane, The Golden Fibre. 2021-2022
From Where I Stand is a new exhibition of prints and multimedia artworks featuring the work of seven contemporary artists from India and Scotland. Taking place in Ahmedabad (11-25 February, National Institute of Design) and Delhi (11 - 26 March, British Council) as well as Edinburgh Printmakers in 2023, new commissions will be exhibited alongside existing works in print, video and installation. Artists featured are; Claire Barclay, Nishi Chodimella, Anupa Gardner, Sushanta Guha, Sonia Mehra Chawla, Shiva Nallaperumal and Swapnaa Tamhane. Exploring the intersection of arts and heritage in times of change; From Where I Stand is curated by the Future Flow, a new creative fellowship which is the first project of its kind to connect and develop young art talent in Scotland and India.
Devised by Edinburgh Printmakers in partnership with Flow India the Future Flow project sees 18 Scotland and India based young art workers collaborate in partnership to deliver a new exhibition and series of public events as part of British Council's India/UK Together, a Season of Culture. The exhibition marks the second stage in a unique project created to connect and develop young art talent in Scotland and India. The first saw 20 participants, ten from India and ten from Scotland undergo a training and mentoring programme with input from experienced arts managers, academics or curators. 18 of these 20 have then worked together to develop and deliver the From Where I Stand exhibition.
From the key cross-cutting theme of 'Together' of the Season of Culture, the Future Flow team took as its starting point India and Scotland's relationship in the 19th and 20th centuries. Reflecting on the industrial journeys from Castle Mills, Edinburgh Printmakers' industrial home, the Fellows developed a curatorial premise deliberating on the relationships between the two countries.
From Where I Stand is one of the outcomes of a 10-month long programme which sees the curatorial Future Flow fellowship explore existing and possible future connections between India and Scotland whilst learning invaluable industry skills. Future Flow endeavours to empower young curators and producers to investigate shared challenges faced by their generation. In addition to the touring exhibition a new initiative will see the creation of an ongoing resource documenting the relationship between India and Scotland, exploring perspectives and histories that were previously overlooked.
The Living Archive project stands as a public resource, not only to preserve the past but as a means of preserving the present; a living archive of the here and now, the place the relationship between India and Scotland currently stands. This will be done through the maintenance of records of oral histories and shared experiences, past and present, through traditional and non-traditional storytelling. Shared submissions will be available to access online as an extension of the curated exhibition space, to launch in conjunction with the exhibition opening night on February 10th 2023 . Offline resources will also be available at the exhibition spaces in Ahmedabad, New Delhi, and Edinburgh.
Future Flow has been developed by Edinburgh Printmakers and Flow India working with the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh College of Art, and Queen Margaret University. The project has been generously supported by the Consulate General Mr. Bijay Selvaraj and the Office of the Consul General in Edinburgh.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition artist Claire Barclay said: “The print works I make are informed by my sculptural practice, and usually presented in pairings or series that draw attention to the materials and methods of production. The relief prints I am creating for ‘Future Flow’ utilize cut wood and leather shapes with which I improvise during the printing process. The resulting works seem suggestive of unfamiliar functions or redundant objects from manufacturing contexts. I am interested to see if and how their ambiguous sense of functionality and materiality might translate to an audience in India.
For the first time, I am using the facilities at Edinburgh Printmakers, and engaging with the printmaking community there. It is always enlightening to experience the subtly different approaches within other print workshop environments and to challenge and inspire new paths for the work.”
Artist Anupa Gardner said: “I am really excited to be making a new piece for 'From Where I Stand'. My piece for this exhibition examines the idea of identity and home. I am creating my version of a paai, a South Indian grass mat by weaving together two prints (woodcuts) to symbolise the shifting nature of my relationship to both countries, Scotland and India.”
Artist Nishi Chodimella said: “From where I stand has allowed me to explore the language surrounding invasive plant species to draw parallels to mass migration of people. My aim is to spark conversation about the discourse on invasive species and to understand the nuances of the label.”
Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council, said: “The India/UK Together Season of Culture celebrates India's 75th anniversary of independence and the friendship and strong cultural ties between India and the UK. The must-see exhibition From Where I Stand demonstrates the curatorial prowess and talent of young artists in Scotland and India, culminating in an exhibition of prints that depict the past, present, and future relationships between the two countries. It is wonderful to see how the artists have created the new prints and made the exhibition by combining their design expertise with a passion for printmaking, digital innovation, sustainability, and global equality.”
