Why do we need a biennial? I have often asked myself this question. Before COVID-19, I visited many places with international cultural events. During lockdown, I co-organized an artist residency program to reflect on the impact, threats and opportunities of COVID-19 for cultural workers. Everything went differently than expected. Now everyone is trying to get back to normal. Have we thoughtlessly spent trillions of euros and dollars to maintain a system that desperately needs a change?
The works of Amitabh Sengupta show a broad spectrum of styles and reflect the challenges faced by Indian artists in the 20th century. A major exhibition of his work is currently on display at the Kalakendra Art Gallery. Find out more about his influences and his significance for the Indian art scene.
The CADALfest took place from December 16th to 20th, 2022, in Adishakti. I hadn't planned on going, but I was thoroughly surprised by the four days of round-table discussions, poetry and film screenings, concerts, and theatrical performances by a fascinating group of artists, activists, and academics. I picked out a little something and on Saturday, attended the „Adivasi Round Table discussion with Vandna Tete, Ganga Sahay Meena, Seral Murmu & Ashwini Kumar Pankaj, moderated by Gopika Jadeja“ followed by the…
Yesterday, I followed something in my mind that is difficult to describe. In everyday language, I might say I followed my intuition. But it's a bit more complex. I went back to Tiruvannamalai. It was the last day of the Karthigai Deepam Brahmotsavam Festival. So, on December 6, 2022, a fire was created on that mountain, as has been done for 2500 years. There is, of course, an ancient story about this. Brahman, the universal Self, manifested itself as Brahma (the creator), Vishnu...
Es waren vier magische Tage. Das Auroville Film Institute hat eine Residency mit Ustad Bahauddin Dagar vom 7. bis 10. November 2022 organisiert. Stattgefunden hat das in der Bhumika Hall, Bharat Nivas Auroville. Dhrupad – der Film (1983) Ustad Bahauddin Dagar ist Rudraveena Spieler. Seine Familie spielt das Instrument seit 20 Generationen! Sein Vater und Onkel (Zia Mohiyuddin Dagar und Fariduddin Dagar) waren wahre Meister. Es gibt dazu den wundervollen Film Dhrupad von dem indischen Regisseur Mani Kaul. Mani Kaul…
Ich habe neulich einen jungen Inder hier kennengelernt. Er kommt aus Delhi und für ihn ist Südindien auch eine fremde Welt, wenn auch nicht so fremd wie für mich. Er spricht kein Tamil und ist in seiner Spiritualität auch etwas abgeklärter oder aufgeklärter, wie man vielleicht sagen würde. Ich traf ihn auf der Straße wieder und wir sind zu der Nachmittagsschule Thamarai am Rand von Auroville gefahren, die ein Nachmittagsprogramm in einem Dorf anbietet, das viele soziale Spannungen in sich…
Today I visited a place for village children with special needs (Deepam). Someone from the guesthouse here had invited me to accompany them. It was a kind of ceremony as part of Navarathri in honor of the goddess Saraswathi – she represents education, prosperity, and success. In India today, the items needed for work were cleaned and consecrated as a form of thanks. Gifts were brought to them and songs were sung. At the therapy center, these included figurines, books…
I've always resisted the word meditation. Much about it seemed suspect to me. At the same time, I've always practiced my own forms of meditation without calling them that, or without having learned them. For me, meditation includes: a.) contemplation, i.e., sinking into a thought and consciously tracing thought impulses on a topic, circling around it until the mental image becomes clearer and appears before the inner eye. b.) focusing on…
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