Engendered presents a multidisciplinary art exposition that explores notions of home, migration, gender, race and memory across mediums and aesthetics. Curated by Myna Mukherjee it brings together several projects from micro solos by artists, designers and architects to group shows, film festivals and performances, in a range of mediums and scales, that respond to the complex notion of ‘home’ that occupy the central place in the imagination of both the local, global and Diasporic deliberations in the global south today.
Myna Mukherjee’s ‘Home and the World’: Navigating Identity in a Globalized Era
What happens when art, cinema and performance come together to address a variety of issues related to the world and home? We get a multitude of visual expressions that can be savoured and enjoyed on many levels. That is exactly what Desh Pardesh, At Home in the World brings to the table, this March. The multidisciplinary art exposition explores notions of home, migration, gender, race and memory across mediums and aesthetics. Bringing together several projects from micro solos by artists, designers and architects to group shows, film festivals and performances, in a range of mediums and scales, that respond to the complex notion of ‘home’ that occupies the central place in the imagination of both the local, global and Diasporic deliberations in the global south today.
Hosted by Engendered and Curated by Myna Mukherjee the 12th March 2025, marked the opening preview of Future Past Continuous an exhibition in progress that explores the tension and resonance between tradition and innovation featuring masters, emergent and vital voices of artists from India, Pakistan, Srilanka and Diaspora.
Borders, Belonging, and Art: Decoding the Diaspora Experience
The screening of My Melbourne an anthology film exploring home, identity sexuality, disability and migration, by a group of eminent film-makers, Onir, Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan and Rima Das premiered at the festival. The event ends on the 19th with a Finnisage that includes a film screening and talks.
“The idea of Home is not attached to just a particular State or even Country. Migration and migrant communities have extended the idea of what symbolizes the notion of home,” says Mukherjee. “Migration has taken place from the South to the North but also the North to South. The opening fil displays concerns about identity the longing. In India and South Asia, we have a shared history of partition between India, Pakistan, Bengal and Bangladesh,” adds Mukherjee. The curation of the festival started off as a regular festival in New York. However, it has evolved as a cinema that speaks about change, Lapata Ladies premiered with Engendered and the content of Cinema marked a shift in Asia and the US. Now Asians share screen space with actors like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. East and West work closer together these days.
“We must tell stories that are connected, intersectional and multidisciplinary. I curate with that in mind,” says Mukherjee.
Speaking about his section Jules of My Melborn Imtiaz Ali says, “The reason I did not show Sakshi husband’s face was because I wanted to make a very generic statement that it’s a larger problem that many women face and it’s not about that one man. He is a symbol of a larger oppression.” The Filmmakers did not want stars in the film because they wanted to be inclusive and sometimes it’s actually better making a film like this without stars.
Future Past Continuous
Future Past Continuous is a group show of installations and micro solos by artists from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Exploring the tension between tradition and innovation in the subcontinent through the lens of migration, land and the notion of home.
‘Futures-Past Continuous’, the tension between tradition and innovation in the subcontinent through not just the visual arts but also through the lens of related fields like fashion, design and performance. The Finissage will be attended by the partners including the British Council, UFO Moviez Raj Art Group and fashion experts, and artists.
Georgina is an independent critic-curator with 18 years of experience in the field of Indian art and culture. She blurs the lines of documentation, theory and praxis by involving herself in visual art projects. Besides writing on immersive art for STIRworld, she is a regular contributor for The Hindu, MASH Mag and Architectural Digest.
