The migrant crisis in India during the first lockdown in 2020 exposed the ugly reality of the life of workers. But while the crisis in India was widely covered, the mass exodus of the workers from cities to their native villages and hometowns initiated a conversation about the life of migrants and the challenges they face. Soon after many writers, playwrights and artists expressed their thoughts about migrant life. However, everything hovered around the harsh and ugly crisis that thousands had to go through.
A year later, a new digital art show looks at the lives of migrants not just from India but also those who work around the world. Titled Kaalpadukal: Songs of diaspora, the show is the brainchild of Abu Dhabi-based businesswoman, art collector, and enthusiast Shafeena Yusuff Ali. The show features digital art by 17 artists from across the world, including India. A voiceover offers context to every artwork, while also making viewers question their assumptions and beliefs about migrant life.
Kaalpadukal which means footprints in Malayalam showcases works that capture the idea of footprints that people, particularly migrants, leave behind. The exhibition is an ode to the innumerable migrants across the globe. “The show is in the form of a narrative that pieces together artworks that depict different stages of a migrant’s journey. The audio-visual show begins with Dilli Sirf Dilwalon Ki Hai, an artwork that encourages viewers to think of a migrant’s story like a fairytale. Then there are works that showcase the stark realities of the world (The Outsiders and A Peep To The Roots). The show ends with works that capture the idea of acceptance,” explains Shafeena.
Among the artworks, Harsha Ann’s artwork, Left My Heart At Home, depicts a young woman who is crying profusely while standing on an aerobridge. She is holding her passport in one hand and is waving with the other, presumably at her family who are at the departure gates. There is a jigsaw puzzle-shaped blank space at her chest, which seems like a metaphor for her heart.
Irrespective of the workers’ race, nationality, or background, the show puts their emotions of love, fear, loneliness, perseverance, apprehension, and bravery at the forefront. Whether it is Rahul V Mathew’s Akkare (Malayalam for ‘across the other side’), Fathima Hakkim’s The Moon You and I Share or Kinky Kashayam’s Memory Grill, all the artworks capture the deepest emotions of migrant workers. “The process of migration is like an institution. It’s not just about the person who is leaving and his or her emotions. When I discussed the theme with the artists nearly a year and a half ago, I realised that all of us could connect with the thought at some level. Some looked at it through the lens of humour, abstraction, happiness and loneliness, while others looked at it from the perspective of people who feared leaving behind their loved ones. There are multitude emotions attached to migration,” shares the curator.
It’s interesting to see how Shafeena has taken such interest in art although she has no background in the creative field. A successful hotelier and retailer, she started sourcing art for her properties and that’s how she developed a keen eye for it. “I believe if someone creates an amazing piece of work but keeps it in a closed room, then the purpose of creating that work is not fulfilled. Only when people see it and interact with it, the purpose of creating it will be served,” says Shafeena who has just completed a Masters degree in Art History and Visual Culture from Lindenwood University. Shafeena, who is a second-generation immigrant, says the show truly captures her own emotions and backstory.
Ongoing. Details: kaalpadukal.com
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