Gipin Varghese presents 'Four works about Resistance'

Gipin Varghese, winner of the FICA Emerging Artist Award 2012 presents his works in Switzerland.

Hochschule fur Design & Kunst, Luzern invites you to
the opening of Indian artist-in-residence Gipin Varghese's exhibition

Four works about Resistance

on Thursday 21 November at 1800 hrs.
On view from 22 November to 25 November 2013.
Venue: Erfrischungsraum / Rössligasse 12/ HSLU, Luzern

Gipin Varghese was awarded the FICA Emerging Artist Award 2012.
Pro Helvetia New Delhi is pleased to collaborate with FICA.
The Emerging Artist Award 2012 includes a twelve-week residency in Switzerland. 

Artist's statement
Today in India, we frequently discuss the conflict between large establishments and indigenous people, and the related issues of land acquisition, mining, water, nuclear energy etc. Policy making is often one-sided and neglects the ecology of the region, farming systems, cultural practices and rituals. In most of the cases people lose faith in the elected government and move towards anti-national gestures. These are the gestures of unsatisfied humans. And the protests are the physical and theatrical development of their traditional environmental knowledge build up from experience and direct observations.

I have been studying them (the protestors) for a long time, and have made plenty of drawings; found some gestures and body languages which represent the spirit of the struggle; and repeated them in my works. The works are connected with particular space and people like anti-nuclear fights - Kudankulam Tamil Nadu, Mithi Virdi; Mining issues - Niyamgiri Hills Orissa, Khandwa - Jal Satyagraha against increase in water level of Indira Sagar Dam...

Gipin Varghese
Luzern, Switzerland