Self Evaluation: Innovation & Interference

First Week As we didn’t know much about the subject which is why we began with exploring the subject and discovering what we will be learning in this subject. We learned that the main three parts we will be exploring will be Maps & Networks, Dance Video and Fields & Frames. After class I went home and researched bit on each topic so I could plan what I’ll choose in the future project. Among all three the part which intrigued me the most was Dance Video. I watched a couple of videos most of which were projects of UCA students. The ideas were represented beautifully and every student’s work was quite outstanding.

Figure 1: Maps & Networks

Figure 2: Fields and Frames

Figure 3: Memories of a Geisha turn into a hypnotic dance Second Week We started off with learning more about Maps & Networks and to get a better understanding of it we watched a creative documentary called “N The Madness of Reason”. This movie played a vital role in helping us understand what is meant by Maps and Networks. Before watching this movie, I couldn’t get my head around the idea of how people are connected or an idea is connected among people making a web. As I watched the movie the picture became a lot clearer as to how we are divided into smaller or larger groups having certain things in common.

Figure 4 N: The Madness of Reason Some of the moments that stayed with me after watching the documentary I took their Screenshots and will add them below so you can have a look into this masterpiece.

Figure 5 N: The Madness of Reason Third Week: Dance Video was quite start forward from the get-go. Dance in itself can express anything without having to put anything in words. We watched a couple of dance videos that were quite mesmerizing and they portrayed their messages quite well. Experience an exhilarating dance in an Icelandic snow storm is the perfect example of how ideas and emotions are expressed in dance. The creator of this art piece explains the dance form in a very exquisite manner “The Japanese language has a gift for describing situations and phenomena rendered ineffable in the English language; such as the moon’s reflection on water, the therapeutic benefits of spending time in the forest, and sunlight streaming through trees. Inspired by the beauty of the untranslatable, director Neels Castillo’s latest dance film explores ‘Ma’—the Japanese concept of the space between all things. ‘Ma’ is the comfortable silence that fills conversation; it is the invisible but discernible warmth between a couple; ‘Ma’ can exist in everything from flower arrangements to theater...” (Nowness, Experience an exhilarating dance in an Icelandic snow storm, 2020)

Figure 5: (Nowness, Experience an exhilarating dance in an Icelandic snow storm, 2020) Fourth Week: When all three parts of innovation and interference were told I got the main gist of them all but I still had some reservations when it came to Field and Frames. I had watched a lot of documentaries and Movies but I was having a little difficulty grabbing the idea. I asked my instructor to guide me in this regard and he solved this problem by showing us a mind-blowing art film known as Leviathan. “With the fish-eye cameras strapped to their heads, the film-makers and crew recorded the raging midnight seas from which are hauled the fish and scallops that will end up on china plates and linen tablecloths in smart restaurants. Remorselessly, they expose every aspect of this visceral business – often conducted in the dark, out of sight of land, on trips lasting up to 18 days. It is a weird otherworld, filled with bug-eyed fish slathering over the decks, clanking rusty chains and hooded figures like medieval torturers, all perpetually doused by the rising Atlantic.” The specialty of this film is how a new world is discovered with the help of camera and framing. The film shows the reality that we know exists but experiencing it this way is very unique and surreal. This film is the perfect example for understanding Fields and Frames. Project Summary: Choosing my theme was quite straightforward at first, I was inclined towards video dance and wanted to create something in that medium. One of the reasons why I wanted to choose dance video was because I have a bit more liking towards it as compared to the other mediums. As I was looking for the idea, I was going to show with my dance video I came around a very inspiring story. My dance instructor in a casual conversation told us how lucky we were to not have fallen in love with this art form. It was quite a shock hearing him say that as I never thought about how he lives in our society whilst pursuing this art form. The struggles he went through and still carries his passion without caring about anyone else. This gave me an inspiration and I decided to highlight this social issue with my project. Idea: Initially I wanted to portray my idea in a dance video but then I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and try something new such as an Installation. Being a sketch artist the first item that came in to my mind was my sketch that I had made a while ago, I didn’t have anything in mind while drawing that sketch but it was the perfect piece that would explain the idea behind my installation. The title came instantly as anyone who would look at that sketch would instantly think of “Rough Heels” which is why I named my installation Rough Heels.

Further Evaluation: I had a couple things in mind but to arrange my installation properly in consulted my teacher and he gave a clearer picture as to how I need to arrange my items and how I need to make it look. The main different I learned between an installation and an exhibition is that installation needs to have an interaction with the audience. The audience can move around and truly feel the ambience you are trying to create. Last Minute Changes: From the very start I wanted to use a rotating rod to rotate my kathak clothes but I was unable to find the machinery behind it so I had to drop that idea which was a bit unfortunate. As I didn’t have a rotating rod for the clothes, I used Mannequins and instead of only showing female kathak clothes I also in cooperated male kathak clothes. To enhance the beauty of the traditional dance I added bangles, henna and khusa so the audience can see how celebrated this dance is. I also added broken bangles at the borders of the chart papers that had derogatory terms on it so I could physically show the audience as to how the soul of the dancers gets hurt when they have to go through these situations. In some areas I only applied the glue and didn’t paste the bangle so I could show as to how not everyone is a fighter and there are people who are unable to pursue their passion and lose the fight. They either quit life all together or are turned into zombies living without any purpose. Poster: I created a simple poster with light blue in background to show the theme of the installation. As blue shows sadness or darkness. In the background I have also incorporated the Sketch so the people have a clear picture as to what they will be experiencing in this installation.

Full Installation Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1naPURYjqz-8t9ZX1DUKqpZmwkQH8wkTu/view?usp=sharing