Curator and photographer Sandeep Biswas talks about balancing the contradictory elements in his practice.
Both photography and my curatorial pursuits are parallel involvements and fortunately one informs the other.
Featured image: Copyright Juul Kraijer.
Self portrait in lockdown. Copyright Sandeep Biswas.
How do you describe yourself in the context of challenging people’s perspectives via your work?
As a photographer, I have been interested in searching for a surreal and alternate world, where I create a metaphorical escape for myself. I like my viewers to peep into my world and experience it with their own sensibility. Through my work I sometimes discover multi-faceted perspectives via my audience.
As a curator, I have an inclination towards artists and photographers who bring out a parallel vision of reality in their practice and this helps me connect with them better. I enjoy working with artists and photographers who push themselves over the edge and sometimes, even discomfort me with their imagery and perspective.
As a rule I restrict myself to the medium of the lens, as I have grown into becoming who I am, with my passion for it. Both photography and my curatorial pursuits are parallel involvements and fortunately one informs the other.
Copyright Gigi Scaria.
How do you balance the contradicting elements of your work?
This is actually a very relevant question for me as that’s how I have survived the years.
Switching on and off, from one mode to another, was probably one of the hardest things in the beginning. With time I got accustomed to it and that simplified things for me.
As a creative being, I never consider the commercial viability. It is a freedom I enjoy. It is part of my own evolution.
On the other hand, when I take up a commercial project it becomes a vicious balance as the delivery is of utmost importance and I have to understand the requirements of my clients. So, it is crucial to understand things from a third-person perspective. You become bound within a certain periphery, and use your sensibility in a more practical way, without risking other’s resources.
Copyright Fran Forman.
What were you working on when the lockdown was announced?
I will begin with the time before the lockdown so that one can understand the momentum it actually disrupted.
I had completed photography for a coffee table book in December with Author Dr Alka Pande on the Tribal Art of Chhatisgarh published by Must Art called Jal Jungle Jameen.
I had curated an online exhibition of artist Gigi Scaria titled “City Unclaimed” for VASA Project in January.
I began working on Curating 2 online exhibitions for VASA project in February and March with two American Women Photographers (Vaughn Sills & Fran Forman).Vaughn’s show went live in March and Fran’s in May. So I was in the middle of curating Fran’s exhibition when the lockdown happened.
Since I also manage a small photography academy called the Grayscale Academy of Photography and Creative Vision, I had started planning some workshops during the month of March in collaboration with the Create Studio and the India Habitat Centre for the Month of April, May & June. Suddenly, I had to hold back because of the pandemic and lockdown. As a photographer, I had a couple of upcoming group exhibitions and photo festivals which also went on tentative hold. One of my videos was part of a video art exhibition at the Beijing Yiyiling Art Space, Beijing in March. This exhibition was set to travel to various other continents, but again was held-up due to the pandemic.
Copyright Pooja Iranna.
How are you balancing life and work at home during this period? How has this affected your practice and plans?
Right now I am busy creating a series of 5 minute inspirational videos supported by very generous and eminent Indian and international photographers, curators and film makers, to reach out to young aspiring photographers and film makers. I am using the digital platform to use my time constructively and to better understand it as a prospective future platform. I think both the teacher and curator within me are finding a way to reach out while I am forced to stay restricted within my home.
Slowly and steadily, I have also already started working on my September exhibition with Dutch Artist Juul Kraijer as a curator with VASA Project.
I spend a decent amount of time reading to keep my mind in place. I am planning some personal photography projects, but right now I have to hold tight as it will require some travel.
Definitely I am busy with more domestic chores like many today. During this period, the thing that mainly affects me, is missing those projects for which I travel around and out of the country. I truly wish that time returns very soon.
Copyright Sandeep Biswas.
What would elevate artists’ life during this period?
As far as I understand, the art world has always been used to ups and downs. I feel it is a much stronger fraternity than many others. Most artists work in isolation and that’s a natural process. Yet, the question of survival exists and there can sometimes be very difficult choices to make for many. Galleries, private museums, institutions and corporates have supported artists as promoters, sellers, buyers, grant funders and collectors over the years. The present situation might have affected them to an extent as well, as they are also in the business. These promoters, I am sure, are working on changing themselves with the times to keep the art world visible and running.
There are limited support system in comparison to the many artists. I feel we need more government intervention and active participation, as this would possibly create a stronger foundation for the art world. A collaborative effort between private and government organisations, along with better access to grants and continuous online presence in terms of exhibitions and sales will definitely keep the artists and the related businesses motivated.
Copyright Vaughn Sills.
Tell us about your curatorial philosophy. How does it all come together?
My main philosophy as a curator is to be able to treat the lens based medium as an artistic expression beyond its physicality. Being a practicing photographer myself, I consider it a challenge to immerse myself in the medium, through many artists who are using the lens as a tool, yet pushing their ideas and context over the edge. I follow and study the artists and their practice for a while, before I actually plan any exhibition. The main challenge is not in representing the artist, but in the way I finally present the artist to a diverse audience on a global virtual network. A lot of interaction and study of previously published and unpublished text goes into how I choose the works and why.
How does your interaction with an artist evolve from the (brief) initial interface, to the working-involvement/relationship?
My initial interaction with the artist is open and mutual, presenting a basic direction from my end, without binding them to it. Most of my exhibitions are a collaborative effort, beginning with an open exchange of ideas. I enjoy shows where there is an equal participation and input from the artist, as they will be in the forefront finally, not me. I shape the show basis this interaction and take it step by step. A lot of curatorial statements finally depend on this process, which actually for me is the hardest part as it needs much cohesion with the work presented. I actually feel the virtual world is a great blessing today as it makes communication so much easier regardless of where the artist is based on earth.
Copyright Vaughn Sills.
Which shows, performances and experiences have shaped your own creative process? Who are your maestros?
It is difficult to pin point a few, but every exhibition I have been to since I was a schoolboy has helped me keep up with the changing world of visual trends and make my choices of what I could or couldn’t accept as a viewer. Museum visits have always been a top priority during my travels. These spaces help me traverse through various movements in art, photography and their history. I learn from every medium, regardless of how much I can grasp from them.
Artists like Rene Magritte, Max Ernst, Grunewald, Goya, Man Ray, Raja Ravi Varma, Caravaggio, Frida Kahlo, Somenath Hore, Salvador Dali, David Hockney, Swami Sunderanand, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Henri Cartier Bresson had an impact on me initially as an art student. In recent years, artists like Adrian Piper, Sally Mann, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Andreas Gurski, Shadi Gharidian, Zarina Hashmi, Raghubir Singh, Bill Viola, Anish Kapoor, TeamLab, Ron Mueck, Yayoi Kusama have been a great source of learning.
Copyright Sandeep Biswas.
Tell us about your own personal evolution, vis a vis the work that you do. What are your observations of the changing cultural landscape over time?
I started as a photographer and over the years, I have watched a lot of photography and lens based exhibitions. I would look at an exhibition from thr perspective of how I would have derived it, if I had the opportunity to put it together; not as criticism but an alternative learning process to understand my own self as a professional within the medium. I think what I do today is a culmination of all those years of revisiting those exhibitions as an audience. If I look back to my early years, a lot of my initial thought process seems quite jumbled up, but over the years it has helped me find my clarity.
I feel there is a lot more space to evolve, grow and experiment in the near future.
Copyright Gigi Scaria.
Future projects: What are you working on now? What should we look forward to?
I have a couple of exhibitions as curator with VASA till the end of the year. I am very excited about my September exhibition with Dutch Artist Juul Kraijer and then, I start planning for 2021.
VASA is in the process of planning live interviews of photographers / artists and a thread of essays on photography & visual language where I would be involved.
A couple of group exhibitions and Photo festivals are on tentative hold. I am a visiting faculty at the Changan University, Xian, China in July but unsure if I will be able to travel, before things get sorted around the world. So to be honest the next few months are uncertain and it seems I just have to keep myself occupied through the existing photography projects and online curating. But you never know when a new exciting project suddenly comes my way, and few of my favourite projects in the past have crossed my path in an unexpected manner.
Copyright Juul Kraijer.
VASA Project Exhibition links: Pooja Iranna, Gigi Scaria, Fran Forman and Vaughn Sills.
Before you go – you might like to browse the Asian Curator curatorial archives . Contemporary art curators and international gallerists define their curatorial policies and share stories and insights about the inner runnings of the contemporary art world.
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