History
Lab
“It is about a process of understanding the history
from the point of view of progress,
defined by industrial and technological advancement, and how these high points of advancement in turn become yardstick of measuring the extent of damage caused by man against its own kind and nature. History of war could be read as a parallel phenomenon, as how the weapons technology developed and how experiments were not just limited to confinement of laboratories alone, but multiple narratives of History selectively reorganised to support some propaganda in the name of truth. And in that process, the history itself becomes a laboratory of conflict. Imageries emblematic of ideologies, power centres and time change their meaning in the course of changing times. Like how a grand structure like the V. T. Station that once represented colonial power changed its meaning and became almost like the heart of the city and represented the aspirations of the people.
Like this how these smoke and fire spitting chimneys that were once the symbol of progress have changed their meaning if seen through new ecological perspective. In a way this work is an attempt of understanding last two centuries, reading through the high points of changes and events that eventually shaped our time.
 |
| T.V. Santhosh is an artist based in Mumbai |
defined by industrial and technological advancement, and how these high points of advancement in turn become yardstick of measuring the extent of damage caused by man against its own kind and nature. History of war could be read as a parallel phenomenon, as how the weapons technology developed and how experiments were not just limited to confinement of laboratories alone, but multiple narratives of History selectively reorganised to support some propaganda in the name of truth. And in that process, the history itself becomes a laboratory of conflict. Imageries emblematic of ideologies, power centres and time change their meaning in the course of changing times. Like how a grand structure like the V. T. Station that once represented colonial power changed its meaning and became almost like the heart of the city and represented the aspirations of the people.
 |
wood, metal and LED timers 174” x 69” x 27” Image copyright T. V. Santhosh |
Like this how these smoke and fire spitting chimneys that were once the symbol of progress have changed their meaning if seen through new ecological perspective. In a way this work is an attempt of understanding last two centuries, reading through the high points of changes and events that eventually shaped our time.
 |
The
Protagonist and Folklores of justice
installation view at KMB watercolour on paper
60” x 40” (each)
Image copyright T. V. Santhosh |
The
Protagonist and Folklores of justice
These works are part of my new watercolour series,
extensions of my ongoing preoccupation with understanding history in relation
to a process of enquiry into war and terror that shapes our perceptions of
reality and ethics. Also, as a result of rediscovering my old days, when a few
decades back I used to make posters and
be actively part of several street theatre productions for an organization
involved in activities of political resistance.
It was one of the culturally intense phases in Kerala, in the mid 80's, I started disbelieving in 'pure
aesthetical/creative practices' and tried to meddle with the much discussed
idea of art as a possible tool for social reconstructions. Now, I try to
revisit those old days in order to understand it from a much larger perspective
of endless ideological debate on the conflict between personal, social and
political interrelationships. I started this series incorporating linguistic
systems of graffiti and political posters addressing a set of questions. I call
it 'eternal questions', which one can keep asking at any point of time in history, yet, it would still be relevant. A
question like "who is the real enemy?” is both philosophical and ethical
in nature. In the process, works went through drastic change. Many apparent
elements became obscure and the obscure became direct. Elements of posters are
replaced by the elements of performance and studio photography. And images of
herbal garden became the backdrop by problematizing the aspects of political
posters. Like in a one-act play, the protagonist interacts with objects that
determine the progress of its narrative, I meddle with the images to both
subvert and uncover the intent of the questions juxtaposed with. The text that
used to be an integral part of the works vanished and is replaced with lucid
metaphors that can be understood by men in the street.
* *
*
Both
the sculpture and the paintings talk about history of war and violence. While
the sculpture is more about history, the paintings are more about our present.
While the painting incorporate elements of political posters, graffiti and
performances, or medicinal plants as backdrop as a reminder of solutions
provided by nature to each issues created by man, sculpture has taken elements
directly from history in a process to trace the errors committed by men against
humanity.” – T. V. Santhosh
Born in Kerala, T.V. Santhosh received his
Graduate Degree in painting from Santiniketan and Masters in Sculpture from M. S. University,Baroda.
Santhosh’s works have been shown widely in Museums and Biennales. Some of the
museum shows include: Kochi-Muziris Biennale,
2016 curated by Sudarshan Shetty; 56th Venice Biennale 2015 National Pavillion of Iran, The Great Game,
Curated by Marco Meneguzzo and Mazdak Faiznia: Making History, Colombo Art Biennale,
2014; Heritage
Transport Museum, curated by
Priya Pall, New Delhi, 2013; WAR ZONE – Indian Contemporary Art, Artemons Contemporary, Das Kunstmuseum, Austria, 2012; Critical
Mass: Contemporary Art from India, curated by Tami Katz-Freiman and
Rotem Ruff, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel, 2012; 11th Havanna Biennial, 2012; INDIA- LADO A LADO,
curated by Tereza de Arruda, SESC Belenzinho Sao Paulo, Brazil
2012; India, curated by Pieter Tjabbes and Tereza
de Arruda, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, 2011; Rewriting Worlds, 4th Moscow Biennale of
Contemporary Art, curated
by Peter Weibel, 2011; In Transition New Art from India, Surrey
Museum of Art, Canada, 2011; Collectors Stage: Asian Contemporary Art from Private Collections, Singapore
Art Museum, Singapore, 2011; Crossroads: India Escalate, Prague
Biennale 5, 2011; Empire Strikes Back, The Saatchi
Gallery, London, 2010; The Silk Road, New Chinese, Indian and
Middle Eastern Art from The Saatchi Gallery at Tri Postal,
Lille, France, 2010; Vancouver Biennale curated
by Barry Mowatt, 2010; Dark Materials, curated by
David Thorp, G S K Contemporary show, at Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2009;
India Xianzai, MOCA, Shanghai, China, 2009; Passage to India, Part
II: New Indian Art from the
Frank Cohen Collection, at Initial Access, Wolverhampton, UK, 2009; Aftershock, Conflict, Violence and Resolution in Contemporary
Art, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, UEA Norwich, 2007; Continuity and Transformation, Museum show promoted by
Provincia di Milano, Italy, 2007.
His select solo shows include Common Wall, Grosvenor Vadehra, London
2014, The Land, Nature Morte, Berlin 2011, Burning Flags, Aicon
Gallery, London 2010, Blood and Spit, Jackshainman
Gallery 2009, Living with a Wound, Grosvenor Vadehra, London 2009, A
Room to Pray at Avanthay Contemporary, Zurich 2008, Countdown,
Nature Morte, Delhi 2008 in collaboration with The Guild, Mumbai; Countdown, The Guild, Mumbai 2008.
Copyright © The Guild, 2016
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