Dimple B Shah - Presentation-2019_Neat

Presentation of Work




2019 -2001





DIMPLE B SHAH

Alchemical Search (Rasa- shastra)





and Transformative Path (My journey )





DIMPLE B SHAH




2019- 2001

Some Performance Intervention




with Nature





from




2014 to 2019

Arrival of Nature Goddess, 60 minutes, The Art House, Wakefield, United Kingdom October 2019 , Part of A Laboratory of Survival curated by Sunil
Shah and part of final presentation for ROSL International Artists Residency with The Art House, Wakefield, United kingdom

Arrival Of Nature Goddess
The Art House ,Wakefield , United Kingdom
Part of Exhibition
A laboratory of Survival

Curated by Sunil Shah ROSL International Residency , United Kingdom

This performance is about connection of the self to Nature’s… how one can
manifest, grow, survive and eternalize the self through nature.
This is performance work to celebrate, live both conscious and
subconscious connections to the ‘The Nature’. The performance is
attempted to reflect nature’s supreme power to cleanse, heal and nurture
all living beings on earth. This performance is about how one eternalizes
deep connection to nature through body and soul how this body of
performer becomes nature and nature and body becomes one. This
performance also reflected and resonate the deep communication between
performer and Nature through voice modulation. The secret
communication was resonates the intense and intrinsic connection
between the performer and nature. This performance also had one to one
interaction with audience where counselling and healing ritual were done
in Alchemist lab space specially created for interaction.

Note by Curator about performance
The Alchemist’s Lab, Mixed Media Installation and Performance, Dimple B
Shah, 2019 @thearthouseuk. Dimple’s approach during this residency has
been to connect with nature. It’s interesting to think of nature not only in
the context of ‘the natural’ but also as reflection on human character.
Nature, as the philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote on was where we would
find the beautiful, but Dimple takes us beyond western notions of
romanticism towards more ancient philosophies through the folkloric,
alchemical, spiritual and magical, to a nature where we find ourselves, our
place and potentially, our salvation. In this time of climate concerns, this is
what we need to reconnect with and through her work Dimple shows us
some ways in which we can do that. #alaboratoryforsurvival

A Laboratory for Survival

“…seeking a now that can breed
futures” – Audre Lorde*

The current social and political conditions have the ability to
undermine our resolve and break our spirit. A makeshift
laboratory is presented here as a site for self-reflection and
care. Artists Cole Ndelu and Dimple B Shah arrive in
Wakefield as artistic explorers from afar, they bring with
them experimental approaches and metaphysical ideas that
may help us.

Ndelu addresses intimacy and close personal relations
through photography. She works with layers of materiality
and extends the photographic plane beyond its two
dimensions. Her work suggests a re(dis)covery of the self in
light of disembodiment brought about by our social and
online personas. Shah offers techniques and rituals through
nature, materials and alchemy. Processes of healing and
self-care can be meditated upon through her responses to
Wakefield’s surroundings and through processes carried out
in the Art House’s printmaking workshop. Her work is finally
realised in this lab, and during performances where she
takes shamanistic form offering public consultations on self-
preservation.

*Audre Lorde, A Litany for Survival, 1978.


Cuated by Sunil Shah

The Alchemist Lab –Performing Nature
Morphological Study of Alchemical body and Nature

This body of Body and Nature and Decoding alchemical body in context to Nature/Ecology. It is about this alchemical process can be used
to reconcile body/mind and understanding the self in context to nature/Ecology.
This project is about Body of performer mirroring ecological & cultural landscape. Our bodies are embodied with impression of our culture,
race, and ecology we come from. In this project I would like to metaphorically connect body with ecological cultural landscape. Over the
years my understanding and interest on subject of alchemy has enlarged and now I would like to nurture profound understanding of
alchemy in regards to nature, which can impact our understanding to keep ecological balance and survival of whole humanity which is
crucial concern at this stage. I would like to bring all form of manifestation of nature through body. How our body can become nature and
nature become body we are alive because nature is alive we die if nature dies. Our existence is solely depends on ecological balance of
world. The nature has abundance gift of medicinal plants /animal and mineral which can be used for healing. In my work I incorporate these
organic elements since they have medicinal and healing properties.

The Alchemist Lab – Performing body , Installation , The Art House, Wakefield, United Kingdom October 2019 , Part of A Laboratory of Survival
curated by Sunil Shah and part of final presentation for ROSL International Artists Residency with The Art House, Wakefield, United kingdom

The Alchemist Lab (Performing Nature) ‘Negotiating Body Emotions and stains‘,60 minutes, Manchester Contemporary, Manchester, United
Kingdom October 2019 , Part of ROSL International Artists Residency with The Art House, Wakefield, United kingdom

The Alchemist Lab (Performing Nature) ‘Negotiating Body
Emotions and stains'
When I sail through the subconscious mind…
The journey into the past…present and future…
I go deep dwell into the subconscious mind,
I discover the world where wounds are hidden in secret dark
rooms,
only known to me, can't be opened to the outer world…
My journey looks longer than my age,
my emotions and tears can sweep the whole world.
The weight of untold stories is heavy….
it slows my step to the future…
Is there any space where I can spill all these?
When I sail through my subconscious mind ….
Then I come in front of room space with light …
There open up myself fearlessly….the dreads emotions….
Without deciphering the content…
The aroma from the sacred space is mesmerizing……
I write in a secret language that bonds me with the
unknown….
When I sail through the subconscious mind ….…..
The aroma occupies in mind balloon ….
The wind brings the breeze of bliss. I fly the shades of
balloon keep changing ….
Till I merge with the light….feeling light. When I sail through
my subconscious mind ….
My body gets the touch of green ….which dries overtime
…..
The green left the mark….never thought mark could be
imperturbable…
Dimple B Shah 3rd October 2018

Connecting to the Roots , 60 minutes Photograhic Performance still , Wakefield, United kingdom, Photographed by Cole Nedule , 2019
Part of ROSL International Art Residency with Art House United Kingdom

Connecting to the Roots , 60 minutes Photographic Performance still , Wakefield, United kingdom, Photographed by Cole Nedule , 2019
Part of ROSL International Art Residency with Art House United Kingdom

Presence in Town , 60 minutes Photographic Performance still , Wakefield, United kingdom, Photographed by Cole Nedule , 2019
Part of ROSL International Art Residency with Art House United Kingdom

Resonating Songs of Nature , 15 minutes Kalahalli, Sarjapura village, June 2019 Bangalore Part of Body Dirt and Sprouts initiated by Suresh Kumar

Small Peace of Earth in My Pocket –What you find in warriors robe 2017 , 30 minutes Goethe Institute , Art Port curated by Anne Merie Misler and
Lina Vincent Sunish

“Small Piece of Earth in my Pocket”-What you
find in Warrior’s Robe –
Good Food –Bangalore 2017 – Curated By Lina
Vincent and Anne Marie Melster at Goethe
Institute of Bangalore

This per-formative installation represents present
scenario of Deforestation, urbanization unhealthy food
culture and missing element of craft in works of art and
targeting varied audiences. This performance is focused
on ritual and spiritual process of growing food. The
performance act will be an attempt to bring nature’s
warrior to audiences and interact with them. The nature’s
warrior has grown this healing plant ‘Wheat Grass’ as a
part of ritual act of performance, this will be given away
to audience during and after performance as token of gift
from Nature, Wheat is considered one of golden food in
Alchemy since it directly associated with sun. Wheat is
the most revered of the Seven Sacred Grains and
represents fruitfulness, bounty, and rebirth. Because
wheat fields seem to replenish themselves, the golden
plant represented a cycle of resurrection into light again.
Using eco-friendly material ‘Jute’ as main element of my
costume, as per the studies Jute crop is suggested to
help conserve deforestation. Preparing costume oneself
supporting the idea self-crafting element in making work
of art which is missing in today art, In this work I am
metaphorically connecting iconic image of
Warrior/Crusader and propagate conserving
deforestation, Fighter a masked crusader of this period
who needs to fight today evil of Our Nature / the Earth.

I breath and I am alive State University of performing and visual Art, Rothak 2017 ,
40 minutes

I Breath and I am Alive ( Natures Warrior)
Part of Supva Master stroke ( workshop ) at State university of
Performing and Visual Arts

This project was collaborated with the students of State University of
Performing and Visual Arts , Rhotak Haryana , the workshop was taken by
me giving basics of body moments and some exercises and also giving brief
what is difference between performing and performance art. The spot for
performance was premises of SUPVA which has wonderful architectural
building. This performance project was extension of earlier performance
work where in students became multiples of self .the performance was
about growing organic sprouts and plant (green gram) The performance
was about how one can become living sculpture and the students were
trained to be part of this sculpture as themselves and the body surface (
costumes were all custom made by students and whole process was
organically becoming part of this sculpture right from sticking the costume
growing the sprouts filling it and finally wearing it and moving in space as
living sculpture the whole performance was designed in such a way
everyone looked same like on soul and multiple body like a warriors of
Nature I had choreographed the movement in space and the moment and
action was supported by sound created by participants in the space. The
act of performance was all synchronized in space where they planted seeds
and metaphorically becoming protectors of natureper-formative
installation represents present scenario of Deforestation, urbanization
unhealthy food culture and missing element of craft in works of art and
targeting varied audiences. This performance is focused on ritual and
spiritual process of growing food. The performance act will be an attempt
to bring nature’s warrior to audiences and interact with them. The nature’s
warrior has grown this healing plant ‘Wheat Grass’ as a part of ritual act
of performance, this will be given away to audience during and after
performance as token of gift from Nature, Wheat is considered one of
golden food in Alchemy since it directly associated with sun. Wheat is the
most revered of the Seven Sacred Grains and represents fruitfulness,
bounty, and rebirth. Because wheat fields seem to replenish themselves,
the golden plant represented a cycle of resurrection into light again. Using
eco-friendly material ‘Jute’ as main element of my costume, as per the
studies Jute crop is suggested to help conserve deforestation. Preparing
costume oneself supporting the idea self-crafting element in making work
of art which is missing in today art, In this work I am metaphorically
connecting iconic image of Warrior/Crusader and propagate conserving
deforestation, Fighter a masked crusader of this period who needs to fight
today evil of Our Nature / the Earth.

A Small Piece of Earth in my Pocket, Bull temple bugle rock Basavangudi , Bangalore 2017

A Small Piece of Earth in my Pocket
Part of Film Making documentary Maryna Hrytsai
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA2YpIxknf8

A short documentary about the art performance "A piece of Earth in my
pocket" by Dimple B Shah
Film Directed by-Maryna Hrytsai
https://vimeo.com/238893125

Imprinting the Dark , Chhobir Haat , Dhaka,B angaladesh 2014

Small Piece of Earth in my Pocket

Live Art Lab Event 2014


The concept of the event was Warp-Woof-Weft' at Vivekananda
Metro, Bangalore. The central focus for the event was on the

subject of art and craft. The location for the performance was
Bangalore Santhe, a place created by Bangalore Metro to promote
handicraft and small arts and crafts. We chose to work here
keeping in mind the fact that crafty elements is missing in
contemporary art scene, and generally artists hire local craftsmen
to create their work instead of creating themselves.

I intended to focus on two aspects, one rapid development of
urban space leading to constant demand for more land leading to
deforestation and other harmful affects to the nature in large and
the other aspect is constant shift of lifestyle that is inclined to fast-
food culture and other unhealthy practices that is the root cause

of all health issues and indirectly effecting the economy and
farmers are dragged into this vicious trap. I used jute for costume
and prepared the whole costume by myself to give personal touch
and also involve my craftsmanship. I made number of pockets on
the sack to keep small cups that had Ragi sprouts( Finger Millet) ,
since Ragi ( Finger Millet) is the most indigenous crop,
andalso blend of organic food and using jute was intentional since
Jute crop is suggested to help conserve deforestation and jute in

performance is also metaphorical Playing same role.

Resonating –The stories of Eleven Mountains

Morni Hill Residency 2018

Resonating –Songs of River and Mountains – Morni hills 2018



Erupting Nigredo Belandur lake , Neru VAG Event 2017 , 30 minutes

Gravity of Darkness Part of Exhibition initiated by VAG Forum, NEERU
Venkattapa Art Gallery ,Bangalore 2017

Erupting Nigredo
Bellandur lake part of Neeru event by VAG Forum 2017

This performance was comment and reaction about
Asia’s most toxic Lake ‘Bellandur lake’ in Bangalore and have become crucial
and critical Environmental issue and concern. The is popular for wrong reason as
it on fire with toxic chemical and froth and it also popular because of Toxic Foam
affecting residence and people in the area.

This performance is a comment & reaction to unimaginable filth, froth and toxic
waste. This unimaginable environmental time bomb carried on head bringing
tension and survival in one space, metaphorically represented by black snake like
form erupting along with soap bubbles which is suffocating survival of human
being and water bodies and water animals.

Gravity of Darkness
It is installation based on same issue it is comment and reaction. It is
metaphorical interpretation of gravity of toxic waste which melts slowly fall on
container in bottom in relatively slow unnoticeable manner that we seldom
ignore the danger .

Some Performance Intervention





with Nature and Rituals and




Healing





from




2014 to2001

In Search of Antidote , Performance with Video Projection
Duration 5 Minutes Katte ( A Creative Community and
Visthar Artist Unite 2019

Negotiating Emotions and Strains , Performance with Slide Projection Duration 4 hours
Venue- Bethanien Kunstquatier, Marien Platz Berlin Part of Weitere Weiterreinchung show
organized by Deborah Philips 2019

Antidote- Mending Body and Soul , Performance with Video Projection Duration 30 hours
Venue- Suluv Art Gallery , Novi sad ,Serbia ,Part of International Multimedia Performance Festival
curated by Nenad Bogdanovivc 2019

The Scent of Unresolved , Performance with Video Projection Duration 30 hours
Venue- Suluv Art Gallery , Novi sad ,Serbia ,Part of International Multimedia Performance Festival
curated by Nenad Bogdanovivc 2019

In Search of Antidote




Performance with Video projection
Where is my home, Where is my Home land….
I breathe the air in smoke of concrete,
I see people in dust and blood
I hear the cry and feel the agony
I feel the touch of pain and search for healing…
Where is my Home
Where is my home land….
I stand in no man land I stand alone …I stand as refugee
Where is my home ……?


This performance work is very short 5 minutes performance as it
part of performance marathon it was presented in two places first
one at Katte ( A Creative community) and another one at Visthar
for Artists unite Karnataka. The performance is metaphoric act
where I deconstruct and construct the question idea about what
is ‘Home; and ‘Homeland’ The idea was bring this optical virtual
world where deconstruction in visual representation happen due
to optical illusion created during the performance

this performance was an attempt to sensitize my audience to this
human related existential conditions and concerns it will be act
where my body will be metaphorically represent Land symbolically
representing the build and broken bombarded home or any other
home demolished in socio –political unrest situation or will bring
in psychological mind set of refugee/ homeless this performance
will also narrate a psychological state and socio- psychological
spaces.

Temple of Love –Negotiating Sacredness 2019 Dhaka Live Performance Art Biennale 2019,
Charukala Dhaka Fine Art Faculty ,Dhaka

TEMPLE OF LOVE – NEGOTIATING SACREDNESS
DLAB 2019, Charukola Faculty Fine Arts Dhaka University , Dhaka

The performance was based on Curatorial Concept of Text and Traditions
performed at Charukola Faculty Fine Arts Dhaka -
th
I attempted to explore the Time lapse going to back to past to 12 century
period in history of Karnataka the time of Bhakti moments and saints who
explored the existence of god/Spiritualism in their own way with new
philosophical approach. This period also mark important since we come
across one of prominent feminist Saint and poet Akka mahadevi who have
incredible contribution in poetry and bhakti moments.. She was bold to

even shed her cloths and worldly belonging and covered her bare body
with her long hair and walked the path of spiritualism in search of her Lord
Malikarjuna ( lord Shiva) and during this path she wrote exclusive 400
poems which even today stands for strong feminist voice of all times. Her
pomes had immense existential and philosophical approach which touched
me and gave answers to one questions about life and existence and created
a strong sense of individuality and importance of self. Through my body
performance act I tried to knit this time period and her poems in present

time through this spiritual poems I explored the identity of self and her
Spiritual devotion and have an insight of that period to understand how it
th
would be in 12 century and how courageous it would have been to shed
all cloths the worldly belonging and become one with her lord it would be
an courageous act even to this day. I performed some of shamanistic
Rituals from my region to engage and mediate my audience to enter in this
Spiritual journey and process through Akka Mahadevi’s Existential poems.
It was experiential performance for both for me and my audience to dwell
th
back in time.-Dimple B Shah 8 March 2019

Negotiating Purity ( Albedo encountering Catharsis ,Echoes of Shamanism curated by Nina Boas and Ieke Thrinks
th
,Amstelpark Amsterdam 15 September 2018 duration 2.30 minutes

Negotiating Purity - Albedo (Encountering Catharsis)
Filtering through light

Colour of Purity, Enlightenment, Higher state, Cleansing, Healing and Absolute truth,
Albedo /white is a colour of calmness and purity. My attachments and connection to
white colour goes from point, where my memory of childhood goes, when I used to
visit Jain Temple with my parents, almost everything in temple right from temple
building complex is made of white marble, Gods Idols are made of white marble and
Gods Idols are decorated in real silver foil and then most of the people wear white
cloth while offering prayers and then you see people doing rituals with white rice
almost everything the small piece of cloth wrapped on mouth by the monks
everything is white.

In this performance I tried to bring this pleasant serene spiritual & blissful experience
of my child hood by creating a meditative experiential environmental mode for my
audiences. I have grown up in environment where the aim of life is to achieve Kevala

jñāna which means omniscience is roughly translated as absolute knowledge or
supreme knowledge. Kevala jñāna is believed to be an intrinsic quality of all souls.
This quality is masked by karmic particles that surround the soul.
Achieving absolute knowledge of our true self and achieve a Nirvana (a state of no life
and death evading the cycle of rebirth) is essential to understand existence of self.
Through process of rituals this state of Mind, body and soul goes in process of
consciousness and it represented by colour white and light. My focus was to attempt
and try to get sense and idea of true self which is equal to light, Sanctity, purification,
solitude, seeing oneself, healing, rituals, meditative, filtration and catharsis and
attaining state of trance, Blissfulness, ecstasy, oneness with universe are the key
central element focused in my performance.

The performance was about attaining Catharsis through various ritual processes to
enter into stages of ritualistic action and meditative mode help audiences to
encounter their true self, it was an experiential and healing in nature focused on both
individual one to one interaction and community interaction and healing. The most
important part of performance was performing these rituals which will involve all the
five senses and create a meditative environment. The response of audiences was
incredible I had to extend my performance for one hour more as my audiences were
waiting to experience themselves.

Negotiating Ritual-Stimulus of Vermillion ,Rain tree Festival curated by DR.Pramila Lochan ,
Ravindrakalashetra ,Bangalore 45 minutes

Negotiating Ritual –Stimulus of Vermillion

Rain tree Festival, Bangalore Curated by Pramila Lochan

This performance is a quest to realize the power of the

Female energy /Shakti. The performance was a process
of mind soul and body to evoke, emerge contemplate
the feminine energy. Performance act is attempt to

bring the image of feminine in our structure of society
the contradicting state of feminine energy present in

both sacred and no sacred state/space and finally arise
to one single state of identity of energy. It is psychosocial
paradigm shift present and past how this supreme

female energy visualized nurtured to fit the need of
society at point placing in most sacredness and other

point abusing in non-humanistic way. The study of how
this feminine energy over the years adjusted to need of
society how it emerged how it associated appropriated

in cultural and religious rituals. Re-questioning
appropriating and augmenting, celebrating this feminine

energy in psychological /spiritual /body mind parameter
in present and past.
Dimple B Shah 2017 1 November 2017

Temple of Knowledge 2019 Dhaka Live Performance Art
Biennale 2019, Beauty Boarding ,Dhaka

Temple OF Knowledge

Beauty Boarding , Dhaka Live Art Biennale 2019





Paying Homage to Beauty boarding a Space for sharing
knowledge intellectual dialogue and poetry reading Dhaka .
This performance was spontaneous act When we visited
Beauty Boarding the space was small old building Structure
with interesting door and passages like a puzzle which need to
solved , setup and kind of people visiting was resonating to me
and with emotional impulse I did this performance where I
First cleaned the space and build a outer wall for temple
structure with stones and borrowed book from audiences and
second round of cleansing the space with water then in centre
of this build structure I created a sound of narration

Negotiating Darkness –Gravity of Now 2018 Chandigarh Museum and College of arts

100% Antidote Dhaka Live Art Biennale 2019 ,Curzon hall , Dhaka University

100 % Antidote


Performed at Curzon Hall ,Dhaka
This performance was attempt to Cleanse the stains . This performance was a metaphoric representation to
clean the stain , The stain of women and girl who have abused and raped. In this performance I am working
acting as chemist who claims to have got the formula to clean the stains 100 per cent and attempt to clean
the cloth in public space and I then interact with public to raise topic around the issue of women and weather
the stains can be cleaned

Magic Tincture – Beyond Rituals curated by Dorothea Seror ,Villa Welbreta ,Munich 2017
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Magic Tincture

Beyond Rituals Curated by Dorothea
Seror ,Villa Welberta 31 October 2017


Magic Tincture is performance about
psychosocial and Spiritual healing
through sound touch and taste
of alchemical healing Golden milk .This
performance was outside in old chapel at
villa Wilberta and space build up by
artists it was not for white cube the
intention was to explore unexplored
spaces at Villa The costume and coat
/bed was specially created to make it

sacred space which reflect spiritual and
sacred space from my country .

Love of Saffron – Negotiating Sacredness – Beyond Rituals curated by Dorothea Seror , OST East west Church ,Olympia
park Munich 2017

Love of Saffron and

Negotiating Sacredness

Date 25th October Munich

I tried to negotiate the idea of
sacredness of color Saffron Present

and past, love and hate, Oscillating
psychological tension between
love/hate, sacredness/impure,
relationship No it was to explore
new spaces beyond white cube it
was outside space OST EAST WEST
Frederick church. The colour Saffron
itself represent spiritual, social
/political situation in my country
, the tension and conflict of
sacredness and it colour used for

rituals in my country .the gestures
are simple expressions representing
psychological tension of my mind

Survival and Existence in Square Feet – Beyond Rituals curated by Dorothea Seror , Worlds smallest Performance Space
Leonorad houz Munich 2017
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