Praneet Soi - Srinagar
Channel: vanabbemuseum
Date: 2016-03-08

Artist Praneet Soi (Kolkata, India, 1971) talks about the installation 'Srinagar' (2015) bought by the Van Abbemuseum for its collection.
 
Delving into ideas linked to the depiction of Srinagar’s cultural fabric and the slippages in the public understanding of its rich historical legacy, the installation is set against the backdrop of the violence, loss and longstanding misrepresentation of Kashmir in mainstream media. It brings together Soi’s artistic probe into Srinagar’s cultural elements as well as his contemplative reflection on Kashmir’s portrayal in the public domain.

The installation consists of 44 painted papier-mâché tiles arranged upon a table. The walls surrounding the table have been painted chalk-board black. On the surface are traced in chalk a sequence of images including  one from Leonardo Da Vinci’s 'Codex Atlanticus’ which speaks of anamorphosis, a perspective technique which causes an image to appear distorted. Soi’s reference to the method is an oblique allusion to the state of Kashmir and the media’s perception of it, fed on images and information that obscures more than it reveals. Lastly, a dual-projection slide-show narrates his exploration of traditional patterns used by the cities craftsmen interspersed with images he collected during his stay in the city. 

'Srinagar' was made possible by support from Outset Contemporary Art Fund. The installation was acquired with the financial support of the Stichting Promotors Van Abbemuseum. 

Video: Ron Eijkman, 2016.