Bikaner House Hosts 'Mool' Art Exhibition Exploring Migration and Belonging
An art exhibition titled 'Mool', curated by Shaleen Wadhwana, opened at Bikaner House in Delhi, bringing together works by 20 South Asian artists across diverse mediums to explore themes of memory, migration, and belonging.
The exhibition is structured around four interconnected sections: The Community, The Soil, The Body, and The Script. Together, the sections examine familial archives and the various cultural interpretations and languages in which the word 'mool' carries meaning, questioning what makes a place feel like home.
Upon entering the venue, visitors encounter artworks set on the floor by Wahida Ahmed, accompanied by the smell of camphor and the sound of water. Ahmed's installation represents Assamese stilt homes affected by floods, using weaving as a methodology to address questions of identity and displacement.
Several other artists present narratives of heritage and relocation. Hema Shironi uses hand embroidery, vermillion boxes, and archival photographs to explore displacement and cultural identity. Riya Chandwani presents artworks honouring Sindhi folklore and the oral histories passed down by her grandparents during their forced departure. Visual artist Deena Pindoria explores community collaboration, tradition, and history through Ajrakh block printing and natural dyes.
The showcase also included a musical performance by sarangi player Murad Ali Khan, curated by Sukanya Banerjee of Upstairs With Us. The performance was staged against the backdrop of Reena Saini Kallat's installation 'Leaking Lines', a piece reflecting on the fragility and violence of national borders.
Rasika Kajaria, founder-director of Exhibit320 Gallery, observed that the exhibition allows difference, contradiction, and shared experience to exist side by side, emphasizing the role of art spaces in challenging familiar viewpoints. Art patron Kiran Nadar was also present, viewing works including those by artist Naira Mushtaq, alongside other attendees and contributors including Nilima Sheikh, Tunty Chauhan, Sonal Giani, and Arjun Butani.
