KIPAF 2016 Curatorial thoughts
KIPAF
Curatorial notes have been more of our, the Pi open team’s reflections on our
involvements during the time than a proposed framework for the participating
artists as we think KIPAF was never been a curated project.
In the first
three editions our concern with the river banks (ghats), streets &
architecture of Kolkata or the issue of permissibility to perform may have
served as a backdrop to the varied performances.
This year we
especially remember Sunil Das who had inspired us as a senior artist and helped
KIPAF with contributions.
Also we try
to appreciate and understand more the works and life of Chittaprasad
Bhattacharya in his birth-centenary in 2015.
Finally
before quoting a whole poem by Sukumar Ray in original Bangla & in an
English translation specially done for this purpose we need to mention one last
and very important point.
We in KIPAF
2016 remember and mourn for all those Indians who are being harassed or killed
for their age, gender, religion or caste and we hold strong our grounds of
peace and free thinking against the weather of violence and intolerance
perpetuated by a few so called ‘upper
class’ anti-nationals.
And now ‘The
twenty-first rules’ or ‘Ekushey Aain’ written by Sukumar Ray in the early 1920s.
We went for a literal translation from the Bengali text.
The twenty-first laws
In the native lands of Shiva the lord
The laws and orders are certainly odd.
If you slip or trip by chance
The cops will pounce and jump at once
To take you to court and make you pay
Twenty One rupees of fine, good day!
There to sneeze before it is six
A permit is a must or you are fixed
For the illegal act and beaten up
While a constable blowing a box of snuff
Forces you to sneeze without a pause
Twenty one times following the laws.
A different tax for a different feat
Say four rupees for loosening teeth,
For growing a mustache the tax seems low
A hundred annas but severe blows
Down on the back to put you to knees
And prostrate a twenty one times, that is!
For a person giving glance at this and that
While taking a walk it won’t be smart,
They send a report immediately to the king
And a platoon of policemen jump up the ring
To sweat the sole sinner under the sun
And feed twenty one glasses of water at a run.
The few who dare to scribble some rhymes
Are kept in cages and throughout the time
Beside their ears one hundred Gauls
Chant numerical tables & that is not all,
Putting open the grocer’s cash register
Make them do twenty one pages of ledger!
Finally if somebody around mid night
Snores a little, you will see the plight
Of the unfortunate soul who will be treated on the
crown
With cow dung diluted in some fruit juice astound
And forced to march round twenty one times
To be hung for twenty one hours for the crime!!
Performers independent is experimenting not only with the
practice and theories of performance art but also in the domain of ‘collective
formation’ and collaborations between arts, other faculties, social activity and pedagogical approaches.
We do not seek for
proposals of performances but look forward to interactions and conversations.
This curatorial note does not reflect a theme or guideline for the artist but
our recent lines of thought regarding performance and the city or state by large.
Pi will provide the
guest artists with modest accommodation, conveyance, food and lively work
atmosphere during the festival. No travel cost to and from Kolkata and no
remuneration is offered but Pi will take care of basic performance materials
and minimum audio/video equipment.
So, KIPAF belongs to
you who belong to KIPAF.
Thanking you with love
and regards,
Performers independent
Kolkata
