We often measure life in milestones, but it is rituals that carry us through them. The first bath of a newborn. The whispered advice at adolescence. The fire that witnesses a marriage. The quiet gatherings that mark a farewell. Rituals for Life turns its attention to these everyday ceremonies, asking what they mean, what they do to us, and why we continue them.
Created by 10 young artists, this exhibition guides viewers through birth, puberty, marriage, and death using installations and displays.
“The exhibition doesn’t simply show how rituals are practised, but focuses on the stories around them and how we inherit and mend ourselves. It explores rituals as stories of four main life stages,” says Rahana RA, one of the artists participating. She describes it as an experimental exhibition where visitors become participants and get into their own conclusion.
“It’s basically rituals that help you through transitional stages in life,” says Mirra Muthuvel, another artist. Yet, this is not a celebratory display, she notes. The influence of anthropological thought is evident, with the exhibition exploring how rituals help societies and individuals navigate change.
“We focus on the ambiguous space. We question them. This exhibition doesn’t have answers,” Mirra shares. Questions such as “Are rituals acts of comfort or control?” “Do they protect us from fear, or from imagination?” remains. “It’s up to the visitors what they takeaway,” says the artists.
Mirra, who worked on an activity that runs through all the stages, talks about how she decided to take gender as the theme. At the entrance, two symbols are given to the attendees that prompt a gender swap in experience.
“I felt gender would be the simplest way for people to understand access and restriction without feeling overwhelmed with information,” Mirra explains. As a result, men and women encounter the installations differently, mirroring how rituals function in real life.
The use of fabric and mixed materials enhances the immersive quality, making the exhibition feel lived-in and tactile. And perhaps, as the exhibition suggests, they deserve to be looked at with fresh eyes.
Entry with museum tickets. On till May 10. Weekdays 10 am – 7 pm. Weekends until 7 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. At Varija Art Gallery, DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum, ECR.
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