For Open 25, we organized a performance lecture by Olivier Richon, Head of Photography at RCA, London, followed by a performance by Lisa Stertz. Nicola Singh used her voice to exercise and question aspects of devotion through song and ritual. Rittik Wystup presented recent musical and sound works outside the gallery space. Inside the gallery were the large-format photographic works by Alicja Dobrucka.

'A Devouring Eye'

Performance lecture

Duration - 45 minutes

Olivier Richon makes an interesting connection between the lens, camera and photography with Freud's psychosexual theory of stages of human development. His ending lines capture the essence of his lecture when he says, ".....I hope you had a sense of a different way of looking at vision and representation... thinking about this appetite for images as well as the appetite the images have for us. One can also think of the lens as this mouth...a mouth that sucks(the light)...and also a mouth that bites. Inventing perhaps these places for primacy of vision...enabling us to think of art as a multiplicity of sense impression."

Olivier Richon is currently Professor of Photography at the RCA, London. This performance lecture will soon be available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

Stills from video documentation by Bryan Fernandes

'I listen to you'

Durational Performance

(Performance in the vault)

Come, solely, one at a time

And sit with me.

Talk to me about what you want or need

Or simply what you would like to share.

I will be there,

With you - Listening

Lisa Stertz's performance is an offering. Visitors are invited to go down to her and speak to her. She listens in silence and stillness until they have said everything they wanted. Gently, then, she guides them up to the gallery space.

Photo and video Credits: Bryan Fernandes

'SeekerHe₂’

Duration:30mins

‘SeekerHe₂’ is an exercise in devotion through song and ritual fasting.

Singh makes the (un)likely pairing of raag Vrindavani Sarang with Judee Sill’s song ‘Kiss.’ Vrindavani Sarang evokes the relationship between lover and beloved a.k.a. the individual and the divine. Sill’s ‘Kiss’ is an evangelical love song.

She remixed the two works together through vocal improvisation - playing across intonation, pitch, rhythm and between spoken word and sung notation to explore the sonic and aesthetic qualities of these devotional musics.

Singh also observed a dry fast for 24 hours prior to the performance, exploring ritual fasting as a cultivated state of lightness and annihilation to sing from.

Photo and video Credits: Bryan Fernandes

Rittik Wystup

'Sonic Ventures'

Duration: 120mins

(Sound piece link in @rittikwystup 's bio)

Rittik Wystup presents recent musical works through techniques of sampling and synthesis. He played and improvised on machines to a point where they become instruments.

Sweet melodies

bells and raindrops

winds and chimes

hollow from the heart

of a piano.

They blend and weld

with snares

and electronic circuitry

until the leaf

that they form

begins to wilt

and sail towards the ground.

As it touches the soil

it makes a sound

crystal-clear

and warm in tone.

Image Credits: Bryan Fernandes 

Documenting the landscapes, people and activities she experienced during her residency time in Goa, Alicja presents a selection of 4 photographs in our gallery space. These include photographs of Olaulim backyards where she spent most of her time in the lake observing sunsets, a timely encounter and the view from her room.

3editions of C-Type final prints are available and will be developed in London at the artist's studio.