Dimple B Shah - Presentation-2019_Neat

Parade to the times of

yore


("Ey amaar Kolkata,ey tomaar
Kolkata" )
Collage Street, Kolkata, India 2015
In this Performance I basically wanted to

make connection to historical aspect of
Kolkata. The city Kolkata is one of oldest city
ruled by British East India Company the
buildings are as old as 150 to 200 hundred
years old every stone of city hold embedded
history within it .In this performance I viewed
the city through an archeological perspective
and I performed as archeologist who want to
collect every evidence of Historical Kolkata

and in process also becoming like socialist
who is bringing the essence of city in present
times who also stand for protest and
revolution every time. This performance was
collaborated with common audience who
also had their part of intervention when they
lend their voice for performance shouting the
words …
("Ey amaar Kolkata,ey tomaar Kolkata…)

Karmic Connection II ,Kolkata ,India 2015

I am ( from the Series of Cry from Dark , Duration – 45 minutes , Kolkata
International Performance Festival ,India 2014

I Am (From the Series of Cry from Dark ) II– 2014 Live Performance, Outside Nandan Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata , India , 45 min

In search of Antidote

Kala Utsava festival in Basavanagudi
Invited by kala Mandira Art college for their annual
Festival 2014
In Search of antidote is performance is ritualistic act
through by body action to heal body and mind of myself
and my audience. In this performance my main concern

is to bring into notice various social issues which is
against humanity and which provokes us for action
against injustices happening. We are social human being
and we confront number of social issues on everyday
basis from corruption, injustice to innocent to crimes
against women and communal violence’s. It looks like
that we are constantly consuming these
pressure/tension of this society to fight with emotional
and mental level and we keep on absorbing so called
this negativities like sponge which accumulates in our
system like carbon on earth and if we don’t burn out
this into negative energy it will totally take us to depth

of its darkness. My performance will be an attempt to
take out, ejecting all the negativities of our society in
the form of body actions. Convert this Negative
emotion/ forces in positive through ritualistic act bring a
cathartic effect on body and mind and cleanse purify
out body mind and our space and hope for future.

3 Months


Public project curated and initiated by


Dimple B shah




Funded by India Foundation for Arts

Project 560


Basavanagudi Live Art Project





Time-Lapse -Reliving Past Present and




Future



2014

Basavanagudi Live Art Project (Reliving Past, Present and Future) is an Artist Initiative by Dimple B Shah funded by
India Foundation for Arts through Project 560. The event will be from April 24th to June 8, 2014.

Basavanagudi is one of the oldest dwellings in the city and has many Temples, Religious Places and Oldest Educational Institutions that has rich
history. People from this place has major contribution in the field of theater, Literature and Cultural Development of the City. The very well-known
Lankesh Patrike is also based here and also notable theater personalities have grown up here. The Bull Temple, Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple,
Ramanjaneya Gudda / Temple, Ramakrishna Ashram, Shankar Math and The Flower Market in Gandhi Bazaar all these places have great relevance in
the City Map and also played important role. There are many Educational Institution both in Engineering and Art Field that have great contributions to
this area. Over the years despite many people migrating here from different places and part of city it has not lost its charm though the new flyover
and construction of new metro line is redefining its beauty. Even today we meet lot of people living in old buildings that has history of 70, 80 years,
and still exists representing the good old days and charm of that era. The project is basically to do intervention in form of performances in this area on
streets of Basavanagudi. This Project is intent to build intervention in Public Space and create more space for Performances Art.

Goddess from the common grounds, Basavanagudi Live Art Project
(Project 560), A walk in Basavanagudi surroundings, Bangalore, 2014.

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Performance on 8 June 2014
Title – Golden goddess from Common
grounds group walk –Dimple B Shah
and Group of Students and local ladies
who work in household works
There is never ending concern on
safety of women in society this
performance is small act to reframe

issues of women in all stratum of the
society either it women who is young
girl a college student or married or
working class ladies the concern is
same to gain importance of their
dignity safety and respect. This
performance is also concern to recent
few month back when women was
harassed near Gavigagadevswara

Temple and still we hear the news of
rape every day .

Time-lapse, Reliving Past, Basavanagudi Live Art Project (Project
560), next to Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, 2014

Time-Lapse Reliving


Past

Basavanagudi Live Art Project
The Fifth intervention was again to deal
reliving past but with different technique
after long research The old indigenous
Bioscope was Designed in new way

positives of films of images of past where
people could get glimpse of time. The
performance was titled Time Lapse
Reliving Past Through this interactive per
formative installation the public could
have glimpse of bygone era, the sense of
past a journey and reflection of time
itself to relive the time itself. This
performance targeted all kinds of
audience’s from School Children’s Auto
Drivers, common people old people and

women’s.

Law of attraction, Basavanagudi Live Art Project (Project
560), K.R. Road, Bangalore, 2014.

Title – Law of Attraction –
Is performance based on belief that "like attracts like" and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts,

one can bring about positive or negative results This belief is based upon the idea that people and their
thoughts are both made from "pure energy", and the belief that like energy attracts like energy. This
performance is specially targeting young college students who will me dreaming of their career and sometime
due to pressure they feel confused Mirror is used to so show their real dream and what actually they can
become.

Beauty of Innocence, Basavanagudi Live Art Project
(Project 560), outside Bull Temple, Bangalore, 2014

Beauty of Innocence (The Bazaar Walk) - Dimple B Shah
Every time I pass by the Gandhibazaar market I sense a new life within me. This performance is basically to highlight the charm of
Gandhibazaar, and became an element of inspiration for this performance work. This performance will metaphorically connect to innocence
quality of flower with young children, it is basically to cherish the beauty of innocence both in human and plant form.
The presence of flowers, The Life, Vibrant Colors, The Fragrances brings the life to its best form and celebrate the beauty in all its forms and at
another level it also connects to poets, how their poetry spreads like fragrances of life. Although flower’s life span is short, they enchant our life
with happiness.

"We may cherish every moment with each countless blooms of happiness of Nature….enter the cosmos of light enter in deep trance and I
think this what bliss might mean and innocence of life mean."

The Bazaar Walks to Kalyan Mantapa - Dimple B Shah
This performance is an extension of performance done in Basavanagudi but in a different set up and different environment. Flowers have been
important element and integral part of Marriages, Ceremonies and Occasions and when this beauty enters Kalyana Mantapa how it is read in
different context. I would like to interact with people in this new setup and seek answers to question like - Will presence of Flowers, Fragrance
and Colors be able to evoke and refresh the memories of glorious old days of Kalyana Mantappa or it will still remain in its original form of
representing its innocent beauty of enchanting life.

From the Shadow of the Past Basavanagudi Live Art Project
(Project 560 ), next to Ramakrishna math Bangalore 2014

Dimple B Shah- Title-FROM SHADOWS OF THE PAST–This performance is about making space for Interaction and exchange of idea about the
past with the people who have lived and experience it. The space there is mix of present and past and future in making. This is installation based
per formative performance where I will involve people to come and sit relax and make them comfortable to share incidents stories which they
have experience in their past. In this performance two important aspects when it come to past one is old age people who are witness and other
forgotten people from Basavanagudi area through performance.

The second intervention of performance was basically to have interactive interventions with senior citizens who could share oral history of their period share more
stories and talk about the time their experience which was Titled-From Shadows Of The Past-This performance was about making space for interaction and exchange
of ideas about the past with the people who have lived and experienced it. This space there was mix of present and past and future in making. This installation was
traditional Chappra usually built for marriage occasion but I used it as small Mantapa, a stage where people could come and relax, hear audio, read books and also
share their experiences and stories. So it was like small Palce to Sit (Katte) could come and relax. I had also lot of small book to read about philosophy, yoga and
poems of DVG- Mannku Thimanna Kagga etc.
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7 May Performances (Footpath next to Ramakrishna ath, Ramakrishna circle, Basavanagudi)

After the first event there was feedback from audience and the art fraternity. There were also demands from the public to give them space to share their experiences.
I gave thought to it and carefully brought these elements into the program and reworked it along with the already planned second performance. The idea was to build
a coconut leaf ‘Chappra’ (traditional festive shelter) and have seating arrangements for senior citizens in it so that they could enter into the shade, relax and hear an
audio track before moving forward.

By improvising and modifying my idea to involve senior citizens for conversation, I gained the opportunity to document oral histories of the past of Basavangudi as
experienced and remembered by them since they were witness to it. The second performative intervention was interactive, with senior citizens who could share
personal and common stories and talk about the times – this was titled ‘From Shadows of The Past’. This performance was about making space for interaction and
exchange of ideas about the past with the people who have lived and experienced it. In this space there was a mix of present, past, and future in making. The
installation was like small Katte (corner place or empty public bench where old people sit and talk). I had also arranged there many small books to read about
Philosophy, Yoga and Poetry of D.V.Gundappa - Manku Thimmana Kagga, and others.

The experience of this long duration interaction and performance was valuable since many senior citizens came forward to share their histories. For those who came
in the morning, I had prepared a Kannada script about my concept; it had information about my work. Many could not respond immediately since they were passing
by with some other work in hand but they returned later in the afternoon and shared amazing stories.

One man told two stories, one about a snake that understood human language and another about a person who could turn water into yellow color with his magical
powers. One more person who is a history teacher in a local college had lot to share about the place. Later a gentleman came up with his own poetry written
spontaneously after reading my script, and using information from that. He shared this with Mamta Sagar and other people around. The traditional Mantapa was
further used by Mamta Sagar for her performance to narrate a poem on 'Kansugallu' ('Dreams') which she had collected from public interaction. We had also given
empty cards to people much before performance to write two lines about dreams and many contributed for it. In an interesting case one lady was hesitant to share
her dreams and Mamta had to tell her own dreams in exchange, and then she was ready to share.

Forgotten Face Reliving Past Basavanagudi Live Art Project
(Project 560 ), next to Ramakrishna math Bangalore 2014

Basavanagudi Live Art Project (Reliving
Past, Present and Future) is an Artist
Initiative by Dimple B Shah funded by
India Foundation for Arts through
Project 560. The event will be from
April 24th to June 8, 2014.

Basavanagudi is one of the oldest dwellings in the
city and has many Temples, Religious Places and
Oldest Educational Institutions that has rich
'Forgotten Faces Reliving Past' history. People from this place has major
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(Basavanagudi Live Art Project performed at footpath next to Ramakrishna Math 24 April 2014) contribution in the field of theater, Literature and
We need open minds and open hearts when we wrestle with the past and ask questions of it, and Cultural Development of the City. The very well-
the answers it will provide are in nobody's pocket…We should let nobody tell us that they know all known Lankesh Patrike is also based here and also
that it contains, or try to prescribe or constrain in advance what it has to tell us. -Eamon Duffy, notable theater personalities have grown up here.
"Faith of our Fathers The Bull Temple, Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple,
The first performance for my Basavangudi Project was 'Forgotten Faces Reliving Past’ this Ramanjaneya Gudda / Temple, Ramakrishna
performance was about forgotten face/Looking back into important era a period, the development
of this area from days of it origin, The foundation laid down by great personalities, remembering Ashram, Shankar Math and The Flower Market in
their contribution for development of this area and overall society and looking at transition Gandhi Bazaar all these places have great
changes happened over decades and look at present the present issue connecting past and relevance in the City Map and also played
present. important role. There are many Educational
Since it was first Intervention for this area I wanted to flip into past to present and introduce my Institution both in Engineering and Art Field that
audience with cultural and heritage aspect of one of oldest area of Bangalore. In this performance have great contributions to this area. Over the
I dealt with historical aspect of this area, people and issues of senior citizens. In this performance years despite many people migrating here from
my attempt was not only through my performance introduce the images of famous personalities of different places and part of city it has not lost its
the area but also wanted senior citizen to come out and share their bit of past with us who were charm though the new flyover and construction of
witness. This was done by myself performing with costume of olden time Jubba, Panche and new metro line is redefining its beauty. Even
Mysore Peta with my face was covered with black cloth metaphorically to represent the forgotten
personalities and their contributions. I was also carrying in my hand custom made umbrella with today we meet lot of people living in old buildings
images of famous personalities which metaphorical represented that we are under their shades that has history of 70, 80 years, and still exists
and also I circulated one post card with above quotation to audiences and during the representing the good old days and charm of that
performance I interacted with audience questioning whose image it was and circulated Xerox era. The project is basically to do intervention in
copy of photos of famous personalities with their names on it which audiences were suppose to form of performances in this area on streets of
take with them and dig into the history about them In process to my surprise one senior citizen Basavanagudi. This Project is intent to build
came out with enthusiasm and share his experience and story of his time and also sang and intervention in Public Space and create more
narrated shloka. This performance was attempt to reach varied kind of audience from college space for Performances Art.
students to general public like auto driver to women and senior citizens.

Conversation With Darkness -Next to Vinayaka Kalyan
Mantapa ,Art Adda (Project 560 ), Bangalore 2014

Awaiting for Golden Goddess 2014,Live Performance , 50
min. Nimtala Ghats Kolkata, India

Awaiting for the Golden Goddess

Nimatala Ghat , KIPAF ,Kolkata 2014

Last performance of the event KIPAF was performed by me in
Nimtala Ghats where the cremations are done near river bank of
holy Ganges. The performance was about mass healing where
myself and my audience the common public were healed in
ritualistic act by showering Golden turmeric on me and in
exchange I distributing turmeric root to heal my audience. This
performance was comment and concern on issues of rape
especially the rape case which happened just two week before the
event in Kolkata. The girl was raped twice by group of men’s who

raped her second time because she went to lodge a complaint to
police and ultimately burnt to death. I felt the need of Hour was to
heal body and minds of people who were traumatized with such
news and also who are affected by such act. It was also to Sensitize
to act and think. I wore a costume which was dyed in turmeric
water I also used multiple audio with speaker this was further
supported by hundred of clay tea pots which were tied and
dragged along the lane, street meant to be broken, crushed and hit
as I walk with it. These pot is use to represented women condition
in more broader sense, where they are used and thrown, in
contrary by nature of material it demands at most care as they

are fragile, sensitive they also represent women as womb, fertility
symbol especially in Guajarati and Bengali culture the clay pots are
lighted in Gujarat during Navaratri Festival they are called as
‘Garabo’ womb celebrating mother and women power.

Black Fever II ( Cry From Dark )– 2013,Live Performance ,
50 min. Eijigbo, Lagos , Nigeria

Black Fever ( From series of Cry from Dark )
Egijbo , Afriperforma International Residency ,Lagos ,Nigeria 2013
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Performed as Part of Afiriperforma International Residency .This was last performance for the year 2013 on 27 December done in Ejigbo
,Lagos, Nigeria. This was one more performance done on issue of rape crime on women in respect to socio-cultural situation in Lagos
especially in Ejigbo area. The core concept was already worked out but I was also improvising to bring in cultural element of Yoruba culture
and wanted to intermingle with local people during my performance. in one of discussion someone came out with outburst of news the
leak in YouTube of local women tortured by police in Ejigbo it was about how an police official tortured one women by inserting spices in
her private part because she had steal small amount of spice in market. This was shocking news and issue of concern so then my thought
narrowed down to same thoughts of justice and humanity and respect to women the issues of rapes violence against women there seems
to be no stop for crimes, I made my mind to perform to bring this concern this time I used local traditional hair dress 'Gele' to represent
the mass Yoruba girls along with their name written on my face. I asked the local ladies to tie this head dress in public. I had chosen my
spot in one corner where four road meet and where people catch local yellow cabs and it is busy with heavy traffic. The performance was
a durational performance went for an hour where I interacted with local people of Yoruba community with audio. I used audio which were
circulated through multiple ear phones to my audience and one to one interaction with my audience.

Cry From Dark (I am ) I - 2013,Live Performance , 20 min.
Leki Estate ,Lagos , Nigeria



Black Fever I 2013,Live Performance , 20 min. Khirkee
village ,New Delhi, India. It part of Body Temperature
Event



Milk Melancholy & Me – 2011, Video Performance , 15 min.

'Road To Thousand Lights'

MG Road Rangoli Art Centre ,


Live Art Lab 2013

Performed as part Project of Live art lab ,Bangalore
which was based on concept of RE COLLECTION and
RE P(L)AY of changes in city and especially in MG
Boulevard ,Bangalore which is transformed into
new Space as Rangoli art center a place for cultural

exchanges. In my work I wanted to reconnect and
reestablish relationship with the new hi-tech city
Bangalore to old traditional Bangalore , Relooking
the roads which has new look and has past history.
This time I used element of light in my work. I was
wearing a traditional hair plaits with flowers
(Maggie na jade) replaced by Led light which we
could connect with Jazzy night of Bangalore which
we connect with new status of city the silicon city ,

IT Capital of India I also wanted my audience to see
light beyond light the more Deeper meaning and
metaphors of Light in life.



Rest In Peace ( RIP)

Sethu Samudram Project Curated By Suresh Jayaram 2012

Performative Installation done as part of curated Project by Suresh Jayaram for Sethusamudram Project(India-
Srilanka) I emphasized on healing aspect in my Performative Installation work I tried to work on social issue
specially on ethnic riots of 1983 'Black July' wherein thousands of Tamils and Sinhala’s people were killed and
through my work I wanted to convey message how one can stop this from repeating again there was a need to
heal human suffering and put an end to this kind of ethic civil war. The installation work was big black ball of
cloth with images of black July metaphorically representing the wound of people 'Salt' was used as healing
material and given away to audience in small cotton bag with two words Forgive and Mercy". audience were
invited to erase the images of trauma which was on printed flex sheets
In one more curated by German curator Elke Falat on issues of Bangalore – "Bangalore Gardens Reloaded"
Visually this work presented in form of concrete box with 360 degree Point of view of concretized city they live

in. The experience within the box (claustrophobic and suffocating space) over powering of concrete and its
inevitable super imposed presence in our daily life

.

Healing Touch – 2011, Live Performance on the streets of Double Road & Mission Road, Bangalore, 30 min.

"Healing Perfumes"

Live ART 2011 Curated by Smitha Cariappa 2011
Performed as part of Live Art 2011 festival for eventFrom Down to Dusk I did perform Twice one at mission
road and one double road bus Stop outside Jaga.my focus was to bring in the element of healing through

different flower essence. The performance was ritualistic presented in the busiest streets of Bangalore (Millers
Road and Double Road)flowers were distributed and flower perfumes was given away to the local public. The
performance was intended to do public intervention and Mass healing.

Milk Melancholy & Me – 2011, Video Performance , 30 min.

Milk, Melancholy

and Me


Live Art 2011 curated by Smitha
Cariappa 2011
Performed as part of international
Live Art 2011 Performance Festival at
Venkattappa Art Gallery . The core
idea was to bring in the psychological
state of mind, of a person who is in
deep state of depression and in
melancholic mood, and in state of

isolate on has lost all its positive
power to fight back (symbolic to first
stage of Alchemical process –
Nigredo (Melancholic stage), The
performance had both existential
feeling and melancholic tone. This
performance act was a healing
process for me and to my audience.
In audio there were two people

talking one is doctor who hypnotizes
his patient and the other voice was
mine, where the patient takes the
journey to the past. I concluded my
performance by the act of pouring
milk on myself, this ritualistic act
symbolized healing.

Tin cry - 2010,Photo graphic and Video Performance ,
Space Studio ,Baroda .

Saffron Border – 2003, Live Performance, Kanoria Art Centre, Ahmadabad, 40 min

Saffron Border

Kanoria Art Center ,Ahmedabad 2003
"Saffron Border" which was based on socio political situation in India. This work was done one year
after the communal riots in Godhra, Gujarat, India, where thousands of people were killed and
thousands were left homeless due to communal violence. In this performance I had tried to bring out

my traumatic experience when I was traveling in Ahmadabad in Kalupur station and fear which I
encountered during the riots, also metaphorically comparing my love and obsession to the color

"saffron" and how it turned into color of fear. Basically this performance raised questions of common
man/women, their fears, insecurity, communal harmony, freedom and socio-political rights in the
society. Questions like why history keeps on repeating and when there will be an end to such bloody

violence. Audio, Video and live act were the elements of this performance.

Encounter Self – 2001, Live Performance, Faculty Fine Arts, Baroda, 50 min

Encounter Self


Faculty Fine Arts , MS University of Baroda 2001
Performed as part of final year master final display project this was first Live performance project in this
performance I dealt with duality of self, the positive & negative aspect of individuality. In This performance
audience had to pass through the 30 feet long narrow dark tunnel to get firsthand experience of darkness and
unknown path. To mark the start of the event their footprints were collected on white cloth and preserved as
memorabilia of the event. Their feedbacks were also collected on the questioners which were circulated asking
questions about their reaction and their views about the performance. The performance would have been
incomplete without audience active participation.

Installation





2000 to 2019

‘Self AS Muse’, Home Sweet Home Curated by Indu
Antony Bangalore 2018

SELF AS MUSE-

Monologue the other half (The Alter ego)
In my work I become my own muse a lover (other half ) with whom I have a dialogue and conversation, kind
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of monologue. In this work passionately I take up position of women from 18 century period which is
juxtaposed with layers of fragments from presents. Metaphorically through this periodic role I try to connect to
unknown self and all these fragments are like puzzle which one needs to connect to get sense to understand
self and love.
In my most of works I become my own muse. Both in performance and prints I use my own images sometimes
as a character from past and present and superimpose it with present. In this work I have put myself in 18
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century period the attire and setup totally of that period and I have juxtaposed with layers of fragments from
presents. For me other half which I usually consider as my muse I have a dialogue and conversation with this
other self, kind of monologue and sometime it is like a reflection in mirror image from past. I feel it is part of
me which needs to be known through this process of Time-lapse I feel intensely connected. In my work I have
used material from my body which directly connects to the aspect of self. In this work idea was to back to the
past and try to feel and experience that period while one foot in present. It is like time-lapse representing the
other half which is unknown (the Alter ego) I subconsciously feel attracted to these elements from past
whether it is cloth, spaces or any object which are nostalgic and which I feel deeply feel connected to it. I have
used my own hair which metaphorical symbolise connecting present to past as evidence of psychical presence

and giving tactile quality. For me it all these fragments are like puzzle which one needs to connect to get a
sense to understand ‘self’.

Memories Part of Exhibition initiated by VAG Forum Private Collection Public Museum,
Venkattapa Art Gallery ,Bangalore 2016

No Space to Escape-To Be Or Not To be – 2013, Sculptural,
Cement , Iron, Wood, 4 x 4 x 8 Feet Curated By Elka Falat -
Bangalore Gardens Reloaded , Goethe Institute Bangalore

Metamorphic Reflux Distillation Vessel – I - 2009, Sculptural Installation, Copper and Iron
4 x 12 x 2 Feet

Metamorphic Reflux Distillation Vessel – II – 2009
Sculptural Installation, Copper and Iron, 7 x 10 x 3 Feet

Catharsis Chamber – 2010, Sculptural installation, Acrylic, Glass, Iron, Steel,
Synthetic Curtain, Ash, Nails, Hair, Salt, Wood and Audio, 8x 4 x 8 Feet