Project 88 is delighted to announce Amol K Patil’s solo exhibition, Whispers of the Dust, at De Pont Museum, Netherlands. De Pont’s new wing provides space for never-before displayed sculptures, drawings, poetry, audio recordings and light effects that merge to create a theatrical environment.
The caste system in India offers a starting point for the poetic oeuvre of Amol K Patil. Patil focuses on the social inequality of this system, particularly in regard to Dalits: the members of the lowest classes.
Through his drawings, videos and dimly-lit sculptures, he provides a tangible experience of their wretched position. He emphasises the invisible place they occupy in the city, while hands and feet symbolise the labour they carry out.
Among other sources, Patil drew inspiration for Whispers of the Dust from the architecture of chawls in Mumbai. These lowly dwellings have provided housing for factory workers for decades. Their walls are saturated with the stories of many generations. Patil's sculptures echo the random shapes of the cracks and dents in these walls. The furnishings of the municipal real estate offices appear in his installations as well. Here, however, the desk drawers are filled with sand and dust that seems to whisper.
Patil's art carries on a family tradition. His father was an avant-garde playwright and his grandfather practised the ancient art of powada ballads. Often performed by Dalits, powadas are a means of offering social and political critique through poetry and song. Patil also incorporates powada music in his installations, drawing both from the work of famous balladeers and from his own family archives.
The caste system in India offers a starting point for the poetic oeuvre of Amol K Patil. Patil focuses on the social inequality of this system, particularly in regard to Dalits: the members of the lowest classes.
Through his drawings, videos and dimly-lit sculptures, he provides a tangible experience of their wretched position. He emphasises the invisible place they occupy in the city, while hands and feet symbolise the labour they carry out.
Among other sources, Patil drew inspiration for Whispers of the Dust from the architecture of chawls in Mumbai. These lowly dwellings have provided housing for factory workers for decades. Their walls are saturated with the stories of many generations. Patil's sculptures echo the random shapes of the cracks and dents in these walls. The furnishings of the municipal real estate offices appear in his installations as well. Here, however, the desk drawers are filled with sand and dust that seems to whisper.
Patil's art carries on a family tradition. His father was an avant-garde playwright and his grandfather practised the ancient art of powada ballads. Often performed by Dalits, powadas are a means of offering social and political critique through poetry and song. Patil also incorporates powada music in his installations, drawing both from the work of famous balladeers and from his own family archives.
October 5, 2024
