I See the News; I Think of You
8.30 Collective
India
Exhibition: 11 Feb - 9 Mar 2025
Venue: Kasaya Gallery
Over the last few years, India has witnessed the curbing of independent voices, especially that of journalists, writers, artists and student leaders who have been silenced for questioning the country’s ultra nationalist regime. At a time when the very idea of democracy feels threatened, our conscience begs us to examine what this New India looks like for each of us.
The members of the 8.30 collective are geographically spread across the country and belong to different cultural backgrounds. Despite these differences, the crisis we are faced with is a common experience for all of us.
The participating members are Adira Thekkuveettil (Bangalore/Trivandrum), Divya Cowasji (Mhow), Kirthana Devdas (Chennai), Menty Jamir (New Delhi / Mokokchung), Mithila Jariwala (Surat / Dharamshala), Pavithra Ramanujam (Chennai / Hyderabad), Riti Sengupta (Calcutta), and Zahra Amiruddin (Bombay).
The project is a collection of anecdotal stories made in the form of photographs, writing, film, and drawings that narrate our experiences in a rapidly shifting regime. Prompted by the private act of letter-writing, the members of the collective explore different visual strategies to acknowledge the current political moment. The topics we engage with range from Islamophobia, misinformation campaigns, and the politics surrounding food. This work becomes a starting point for more critical reflections and the idea of community to bring hope in times of bleakness.
