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Planet KHOJIntroduction: Porous City
EXPLORING POROSITY: MOBILE AND TEMPORARY CULTURAL SPACES in BANGALORE Explorations: A >> BAMBOO BUS [STARTING in JAN 2009] [IMAGE] A bamboo trailer which can be parked in many different parts of the city and developed for being used as a compact cultural space. Some of the features of the bus are summarised below. They will be realised in a phased manner, which will be defined soon.
Why? Cultural activities in Bangalore are usually staged in clearly designated spaces. Conversely, seeking out living spaces which are in the midst of people, do not have specific designations and are more open, welcoming and approachable would effectively create a map of existing and new alternative spaces for culture.
Exchange: Continuing the tradition of open-definition/specification labs/hubs around the world, the project will maintain detailed documentation of the process of putting it together and share it through the web. The effort would also make friends in the region and around the world to harness the innovative potential and conceptual diversity of practitioners and researchers around the world to extend the role which it could possibly play. After travelling around different parts of Bangalore for a year, the trailer will be gifted to some other artist / group in the country / region to be re-configured and re-used in some locally relevant scenario. CANOPY on NDTV MetroNationA profile of CANOPY/PetPuja installed at the 48c festival on NDTV Metronation. Thanks to Abhas for recording this on his Neuros. Link to youtube if you have player problems: CitySpinning in the “Daily News and Analysis (DNA)”
Malvika Tegta has profiled CitySpinning and its projects in the DNA, Bangalore today. Read the full story here: PDF copy of the story. CANOPY@JamaMasjid: some picturesSome pictures of CANOPY at Jama Masjid. At Jama Masjid, we had daily workshops for children from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. The workshop was led by Azam and Sonu from Jamghat. The first day of the workshop was introduction to vegetables and growing them and taking care of them, the second day we had a drawing workshop, the third day it was singing with the Manzil band and the fourth day was soap bubble blowing. Only a few pictures are archived here, will post more about conversations and interactions at this CANOPY soon. Will also add more pictures later. 
 CANOPY in “The Deccan Herald”
About the “PetPuja” installation at the 48c public art festival in Delhi. SenseStation demo postponedMy laptop and one of the SenseStations went missing last week, so the demo of the project that I was hoping to open during 48c is now postponed. The project is also going through a lot of change in terms of its framing and implementation after recent conversations/discussions with Ashok Sukumaran and Sophea Lerner. Will post updates. CANOPY@ChandniChowk: some picturesCANOPY is installed at Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid as part of 48C, a public art festival in Delhi. The plants growing in the baskets are: tomato, eggplant, cabbage, chillies, lemon grass, adulsa and tulsi. I will be posting some conversations/stories which happened around the installation sites. For now some pictures (I’ll add descriptions for the images later): CHANDNI CHOWK: pictures of the installation at JAMA MASJID: next mail In the Shadow of the Vulture   The Docile Dead Keeper It is true, we all seem to be going somewhere. Very fast, and quick. The question is where? All around us, there are extinctions, as things get blurred and we cannot see what we step on, all sacrificed for the sake of the journey. But where does the journey lead to – what would we have learnt during it, that will form our future. It may be said that the barrenness will be fertilized with new dreams, new hopes and new possibilities. Yet, is that true? Do we really believe in this idea, or is the speed of the present so exhilarating that we cannot make sense of the landscape any more, since it is so very fuzzy? Maybe we are scared to see that it may be barren, very, very barren. For one species, which came upon this planet, probably over a 100 million years ago, there is no journey left. Almost. The vulture is increasingly no more. Wiped out, from the staggering tens of millions in number in the sub continent, even a couple of decades ago, to less than tens of thousands. Over 95% of them have died, in the largest mass extinctions ever known in the recorded history of mankind. All killed, amazingly by one innocuous pill! Maybe, it is a sign of times. Maybe, the wise vultures have departed on their own. Decided to withdraw from the cycle of evolution. After aeons of changing, adapting, evolving, co-existing, it may have become just too much to cope with. The world is no longer possible to survive in, and hence there is no future in it. What the biggest earthquakes, volcanoes, meteorites could not do, has happened in the time when we, as the human race, claim as a time of ‘civilization.’ A sign of animals and birds sensing a tsunami much before we can? The vulture is carrion. It is seemingly dirty, large and scary. It feeds on dead flesh. Why on earth should we bother for it? What we fail to recognize, in the age of abattoirs and incinerators, is that the vulture is also on top of the food chain, doing nature’s job of ensuring that all dead are disposed of safely. It is also an unusually caring bird, nesting and bringing up its young with great devotion and tenderness, besides the fact that it only feeds on dead animals, but normally does not hunt. It is the docile dead keeper of the planet. Only doing its job, and helping nature complete its ongoing cycle. The Pill Surprisingly, in the end, all it took was a simple pill. That pill proved more powerful than all the vagaries of nature such a species must have faced over millions of years. This pill was meant to reduce pain in ones muscles, especially in livestock, so that they can produce more milk, more often. Livestock as industry. A simple drug, which helps animals like cows and buffaloes, become better machines to produce more milk – not to feed their young but to feed the dairies, which feed us. For unknowingly the cows and the buffaloes became the bait, the poisoned bait, which took the vultures out. But coming back to the cows and buffaloes which meant no harm to the vultures except they offered themselves as food once they were dead. No big armies here. Just a pill, diclofenac, like aspirin, which we fed to the vultures through the carcasses of the cows and other slaves, and silently destroyed the kidneys of the vultures. First their neck would droop, then they would salivate, and then finally fall from the tree – dead. Perfect. Like nerve gas. Chemical warfare. But no one is really asking why was such a pill necessary in the first place? For over a century now human beings have been making and synthesizing chemicals for the benefit of human - kind. Over a hundred thousand such chemicals have been put out already. But no one knows what other harm they do to our lives and life forms which have inhabited this planet for millions of years. These are all considered safe till proven otherwise. While diclofenac did reduce body pain, it also made extinct a life form which had evolved over maybe a billion years – who knows from the beginning of time itself. Such is our intelligence and sensitivity and belief in our industrial systems. Such is the nature of the industrial systems we have created, and the methods of science we encounter. It was in 1962 that Rachael Carson wrote the book ‘Silent Spring.” The observant scientist, reviewed thousands of papers, and predicted that chemicals like DDT are destroying the ecology of our planet. DDT and similar chemicals, she stated is causing the extinction of eagles, or leading to the genetic distortion of fish and other marine animals, which are continuously exposes to them, even in very minute quantities. Similar impacts have also been detected in human beings now. Through bringing home the increasing impacts of chemicals in our lives and the unintended and /or the unstudied impacts they have on our lives, she drew attention to the need of ‘precaution.’ However the market based economic systems do not have any place for such approaches. If it is good for the market, it must be good. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry has fought regulation, information transparency and independent research for over a centaury. Their financial and political clout makes us believe that everything that is introduced on the market is benign. The onus of the burden of proof is on us. Hence the drugs are safe, unless proven otherwise. “Prove it!” is the motto. It is not by accident that it took over a decade to ban ‘diclofenac.” This ban is also only for ‘veterinary’ use, and not for human use. It is not uncommon to find the drug being diverted from human to veterinary use. The story of the near extinction of the vulture is also the story of the fiscal and political power of our economic and industrial processes It is indeed a reduced life we inhabit, and the loss of the vulture is evidence of that. The Lengthening Shadow The vulture did well, over time. It did well enough for the Egyptians to equate it with mother (Mut), or Cleopatra to wear them on her thrones and crowns. It also did well to be the great Garurda, king of birds which was faithful to the mighty Rama, or the winged warrior of the American Indians. It did well with everyone who saw life in its entirety and respected all they did not know and did not fully understand. It was killed in a time when ‘knowledge has substituted the ‘knowing’ of things. Simultaneously it is harder to see sparrows, or rose ringed parakeets flying home every evening around our homes. Tales of tigers dying, elephants being killed, rhinos being poached, saras cranes disappearing are descending all around us. Maybe this is the age of man-made extinctions! Or maybe man has always led to extinctions – like the cheetah, the bison, the great American eagle, or now even the disappearing honey bees! How does a species which has survived for millions of years, just die out in a matter of a years? In the past too, there have been mass catastrophic extinctions- the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, or the extinction of the dodo. The dinosaur died seemingly as a result of a massive meteor collision with Planet Earth, which blanked out the atmosphere with dust, blocked the sun, and essentially snuffed the pre-historic and some massive creatures out. The dodo was hunted to extinction, unable to fly away from the arms bearing humans. Our ecologies are changing. In the way we relate to the city, or the manner in which our network of relationships functions. The extinction of natural systems, of a biodiversity of ideas and connections, the discourse is reduced. Development seem to need an unnatural unipolarity and focus, but what lies its counter charge? In fact what is ‘development’ and how do we understand that term which seems to drive all our energies today? In the shadow of the vulture we live. When wisdom passes, maybe the wise pass on too. The Vulture is dead. Long may we live. the second prototype for CANOPY@ChandniChowkAcross the last few days I made a second prototype of the CANOPY@ChandniChowk with the help of Ajay Mayekar, Dhaval Shellugar and Rutwik Sath, who are architects from Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi, the school of architecture in Mumbai. Vaibhav Kaley, Vir Singh and Gaurav gave very valuable inputs for the design of the second prototype. How it differs from the first prototype: Some photographs of the new structure: 
The initial drawing drafted by Ajay and Ritwik after our first discussion:
MausamChowk is now SenseStation: have a lookThe local weather station project opening soon in New Delhi is now called SenseStation. Here is what the working prototype looks like:
The casing and the arduino shield design was done with the help of Spruha Electronics, a company in Nagpur (it was started by my father-in-law). I will be releasing details about the station, the shield and the arduino code in the coming weeks. Meanwhile I will post installation dates and usage instructions (on SMS). The SenseStation senses: noise levels I will be installing the SenseStation in Delhi at the 48C festival next week. The station will provide weather data over SMS and through a pachube feed. After that I will be developing the platform further. How to watch a city burn...Landed in Mumbai yesterday to be faced with the shock of the city under siege. Shook me, after a long time, to write something. Jaded as the pen is, the words still flowed, perhaps all too easily. How To Watch a City Burn Land in Mumbai. Complain about the weather. Make jokes about furnaces and hells and send witty sms to all friends. Visit far flung campuses, enjoy the bumpy ride. Make stale jokes about bad roads: “In India you Are supposed to ride on the left of the road. In Mumbai You drive on what is left of the road.” Muse about the grim reality Of the glamour city.
In the evening, fan yourself as you wait for a roadside snack. Look at the thronging masses and wonder How so many people can be crammed into such little space. Wipe tears from the eyes as you bite into a chilli, Feel the grit on the cheeks emerge like a rash.
Tread through the small streets, Feel the shrapnel of ages poke at you through What you thought were comfortable shoes. Make your way to succulent titbits And cheap booze hidden in the heart of the city To meet friends, make faces, laugh, exclaim, Point at people who look at you strangely and wonder what they would think If they knew about what you did in bed the other night With that person whose name is on the tip of your tongue.
Over dinner, hear about trains and about training inexperienced Virgins in acts of untold pleasures. Hear the Mumbaikar Revel in the double edged consolation of being safe in mediocrity: “Only the very rich have to worry about the mafia. For a regular person, it is as safe as your own backyard!” Hear oft repeated tales about the safest city in the country. Lament about lack of night-life in Bangalore.
Be shocked, as the tele blasts news of bomb blasts That have seared through the city, Hitting the partying posh in the South. Hear the unspoken horror as everybody stares at the flickering screen. A reporter is relishing remains of somebody dead. Images hit you, harder than the fried garam masala in the food.
Sit glued, unchewing, food congealing, as news starts Trickling in. People dead. Hotels under siege. The police Helpless. Think how much it is like a Bruce Willis Movie. And then tap into the collective terror and feel tears trickle down your cheek. As people are turned into things. Things are broken. Realise that there are people responsible for turning people into things That are broken. Call for the bill. Relish the cathartic moment of pity and terror. Scramble towards your hotel. Hear jaded resignation from the seasoned Citizen.
Snuggle under the sheets and leave the television, on mute, As you juggle news of hand grenades being flung With the messages and phone calls bombarding your phone. Be glad there are people who care. Realise that there are people who are remains, who must also have people who care. Shiver at what hatred can do to a city you thought you loved. Watch, from the safety of your room, smoke and fire. Wonder if you want to ever bring children in this world. Make plans for buying island and becoming dictator.
towards the museum of street "weapons"    Please note: we do not support the use of weapons. Kindly do not misinterpret us. "Weapons" here is used as a rhetoric. The point of this is to figure out what kind of everyday objects make us feel safe or prepare us to defend ourselves. We propose to build an online museum of street weapons with your response. Weapons are objects of defense used by you to feel safe and protected. What are these objects and things that you carry which make you feel safe? And- how do you propose to use them? Please send us a list of things you carry that prepare you to walk on the streets. If you like you could also send us photos of your defense weapons. If you cannot relate to it- think again- it could be in the way you hold your bag, books across chest etc. Or how many times have you pretended to talk on the mobile phone when out alone? or kept a clenched fist ready? Think. Remember or simply look in your hand bag and send us your list. Men are invited to participate as well- you can participate by speaking to women you know about their street weapons and add to this list. Don't just limit it to bloggers- in true Blank Noise spirit- speak with family members, friends, colleagues, domestic help, vegetable vendors- every woman you know! Share this poster on email lists, college and office walls, apartment buildings, neighbourhoods and markets- let's get this going! You can also confirm/ join in on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2703755288#/event.php?eid=46016327805&ref=mf Blank Noise Team disclaimer: Blank Noise does not support "weapons and violent activity" unless absolutely required for defense. Blank Noise is interested in understanding fear , addressing fear and generating discourse around it. Contributors: Kismet Nakai, Mandy Van Deven, Ritambhara Mehta, Anasuya Sengupta, Hemangini Gupta, Dimplicious, Maya Singh, Ratna Apnender, Lindsey Rieder , Sravanthi Dasari,Megha Joshi Bhagat, Sravanthi Dasari, Chitra Badrinarayan, Ritu A Kamath, Maya Hussein Kovskaya, Radha Pandey, Amrutha Bushan, Aastha Gupta, Alaphia Zoyab, Katheeja Talha,Kritika Sharma, Marjorie Barboza, Nabila Zaidi, Annie Zaidi, Arushi Singh, Shaheema Shaw... An invitation to share your plantsIf you live in New Delhi and have a kitchen garden, vegetable patch, or just happen to grow a few vegetables on your own, this is an invitation to you to share some of your plants. As part of the CANOPY, a PetPuja installation at Chandni Chowk in December, a range of vegetable plants will be available to street children living around Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk. I am inviting Dilliwallas to share their plants for this. The plants you share will be transplanted in some of the baskets hanging at the top of the CANOPY. In other baskets the children will sow seeds during workshops (similar to the one I had organized at Jamghat) that I will do with them. Manjushree has blogged a very eloquent invitation to share here. If you want to share your vegetable or medicinal plants, you can comment here, send me an email at me AT prayas.in or call me at (91)9902591198. My address in Delhi is B-7/1A Vasant Vihar. I or some of my friends or one of the kids can also drop in at your place to pick up the plants that you want to share. I need them by the 1st week of December. Some plants that you could share are: Spinach, Tomato, Peas, French, Beans, Brinjal, Chilli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mint Peppermint, Tulsi, ADHATODA ZEYLANICA (ADULSA), Aloe Vera, etc. See your plants soon!
CALLING BLANK NOISE ACTION HEROES IN CHENNAI!*Please note change of venue.**
We are now meeting at Spencer Plaza, Phase III, Ground Floor Atrium. Time: 1130 a.m. Same date: November 30, 2008.  NOV 30TH. SUNDAY. 11 45 AM- 1 PM. PONDY BAZAAR BLANK NOISE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRAJNYA ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC INTERVENTION BASED ON STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO UNAPOLOGETIC WALKING We promise you it will be simple. quick. fun and challenging. So bring along your mom, grandmother, friends, family, colleagues. Let's make some action heroes! Say yes and email us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com to confirm or simply click confirm on the facebook events page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=33213279748 We would love to reveal more details but then the surprise of it will be lost. Details will be given out to those who request or confirm. Blank Noise Members from Chennai JAYSHRI IYER, PRIYANKA, KATHEEJA TALHA along with Prajnya- Swarna and Nirupama will be working towards making this happen. You can make this happen by working with us on the pre production or by simply being there no later than 11 45 on November 30th. Pondy Bazaar. Sign up! the first prototype for CANOPY@ChandniChowkLast week, before leaving for Delhi, I made and tested a prototype of the first canopy in Bangalore. I designed this with Kiran Kakde’s help. Kiran is Rashmi Kakde’s brother who lives and works in Dubai. It was made by Nizamuddin and his colleagues from Bamboo Bazar in Bangalore. A labeled picture of the prototype.
This canopy will:
This design/prototype has already been evolving into something else with feedback from a lot of children and friends. Next post: drawings and brainstorm transcripts for the next prototype. More picures: 
 Prototypes and designs for CANOPY @ Chandni ChowkLast week, before leaving for Delhi, I made a prototype of the first canopy which I designed with Kiran Kakde (Rashmi Kakde’s brother who lives and works in Dubai. A labeled picture of the prototype.
This canopy will:
This design/prototype has already been evolving into something else with feedback from a lot of children and friends. Next post: drawings and brainstorm transcripts for the next prototype. CALL FOR BLANK NOISE VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS-( ONGOING) Calling Action Heroes and volunteers! # TO CREATE BLANK NOISE IN YOUR CITY . OR TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH BLANK NOISE FROM YOUR CITY- SIGN UP HERE http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pXj9QqBrUiZ7KSAIdHH5eMw # To be a Blank Noise Intern ( time period 2 months+) sign up here http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pXj9QqBrUiZ5RkZL89UmVew If you have volunteered with Blank Noise in any way possible- do send in your photo at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com http://www.flickr.com/photos/blanknoise/2514560156/ (flickr blog maintained by Dhruva Ghosh. Saptarshi Chakrabarty and Purba Sarkar) We thank the following people for signing up as volunteers and interns: ( WE WILL BE WRITING TO EACH OF YOU SHORTLY) AHMEDABAD KHUSHALI PUROHIT KOLKATA PUSHPITA PRAMANIK LUCKNOWMOHIT SHARMA PUNE * SOLAPUR VISHAL GAIKWAD VADODRA JYOTI CHENNAIJAYSHRI IYER PRIYANKA DEEPTI KATHEEJA TALHA CAMBRIDGE (UK) REKHA ADELE ROME (ITALY) ADELE STAMFORD SUBHA SUNDARAM SANDIEGO (USA)AMAN TYAGI CHANDIGARH NEERAJ MONGA NATASHA KAUSHAL MUMBAI CONRAD MENEZES MOHNISH MOORJANI ASAVARI GILL MADHU AGARWAL APARNA HAJNIS CHIRAG SUVARNA BANGALORE SANDHYA BALIKA GOPALKRISHNAN KV BALAJI SNEHA THUPTEN KELSANGAPURVA MATHAD DELHI MANITA SETHI SHARAD BHATIANEERU MALHOTRA DEEPSHIKA ARORA ANISHKA VARMA ANUBHAV PRADHAN SHWETA SINGH SATYA RAVISHA MALL SHWETA SINGH SHRUTI PANWAR GURGAON Prateek Shukla ANAMIKA STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO UNAPOLOGETIC WALKING   (easy to print version above) STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO UNAPOLOGETIC WALKING is a compilation of things to remember while walking. It is in the form a down loadable print friendly version here * ( up in 1 day) - so do make sure it's up at your colleges, office , home, neighbourhood, local club and every where! Share the results here. 1. walk very very slowly. 2. walk without your phone. 3. walk without your bag. 4. walk without your arms crossed or folded. 5. walk without your sunglasses. 6. walk without looking on the ground. 7. walk looking at passersby. 8. walk with your shoulders back 9. walk with your chin a little raised. 10. walk with a smile. 11. walk swinging your arms. 12. walk humming a song. 13. walk whistling. 14. walk day dreaming. 15. walk in the middle of a pavement. 16. walk alone. 17. walk without your duppata. 18. walk wearing the one garment you always wanted to but did not because you someone made you feel 'you are asking for it'. 19. walk alone. 20. walk at 7 am. 5 am. midnight. 3 pm. 1 pm. 9 pm. Our street actions over the last few years have been based on emphasizing small simple scenarios- which can be challenging even though they appear 'normal' and everyday. For instance- should it be hard to just 'stand' on the street as an 'idle' woman? Would you 'dare' try it? Keeping in sync with that trajectory of thought we have published this poster on the Blank Noise Blog. Here's a Step By Step Guide To Unapologetic Walking We have attached a B/W print friendly version -should you want to print out this A3 size poster and spread the word in your office, college, school, neighbourhood? anywhere you have access to. Some of you who have been associated with Blank Noise for a while may have already tried the step by step guide- in that case we invite you to share your experiences from or try it again! We request you to take charge by volunteering to translate the poster in your local language as well. Do email us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com to inform us if you're interested. Ofcourse, your response is crucial to this proposal. share your response here https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pXj9QqBrUiZ5eWN3JPPMhMQ or simply leave it at the comments section on the post. Be an Action Hero! yours truly, Blank Noise Team Thanks to Rhea Daneil for suggesting easy to print b/w posters! Thanks for spreading the word Sue! *************************************************************************************************** Some months ago we had posted this on walking- based on interviews with womenin Manchester, UK. street sexual harassment survey with you:We received an email from Holly Kearl who has been researching street sexual harassment and would like you to participate in her online survey:
I live in the U.S. In 2007 I wrote my master's thesis on street harassment/eve teasing. Now I am preparing to write a book on the topic. As part of my research, I am conducting an informal, anonymous online survey to learn how people experience being in public, what they think are appropriate/inappropriate stranger interactions, and how they define street harassment/eve teasing. People have a chance to share stories in the survey too because one of the main things I want to do in my book is share people's stories - while many websites like Blank Noise share them, I don't know of a book that does. I have never been to India but I have been following various news articles and stories on Blank Noise about eve teasing and so I would love to include people's experiences in my research and in the stories I share in the book. Feel free to take and share the survey with others. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2zNzxBfuyVVLMKcoXoEtjQ_3d_3d I will be the only person who sees the results and if there is a question you don't want to answer, you can skip it. |
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KHOJ International Artists' Association
S-17, Khirkee Extension,
New Delhi - 110017
Phone: +91-11-65655874, +91-11-65655873
E-mail: interact@khojworkshop.org
NAVAJBAI RATAN TATA TRUST
