Tate Modern Report

The exhibition project space WORD. SOUND. POWER is based in the Tate Modern and can be found on level 2. The exhibhition was curated by Loren Hansi Momodu and Andi-Asmita Rangaria of Khoj Internation Artists' Acssociation, New Delhi. The works displayed in the exhibition are a mixture of video, text, audio documentary, poetry and song play a key part within the exhibiton as well.

All the works featured in the exhibition are to bring to the viewers attention the problems of people not having a voice in an under privileged culture. This is apparent in the documentary “Saacha (The Loom)” the parts which I saw  focus on the working class of the city and being a political activist it highlighted through his own personal memories how people were treated, how they acted through his poetry.

 Another filmmaker whose work i strongly enjoyed was Pallavi Paul “Shabdkosh (A Dictionary)” as it was created this year; as i took personal interest in this film, when i went home I watched it from start to end and the way this is filmed is breathtaking. The depth of focus while the close up of the talking head made you look at the person on screen in a personal manner, and how due to the use of zoom the emotions and makes you as a viewer emphasis and truly take in how terrible the situation is. 

Fig. 1 Screen grab from Shabdkosh (A Dictionary) by Pallavi Paul  

The use of silence and gaps within the actual people make a larger impact than most of the video itself, as in the gaps where there is just an image on screen during the silence, it gives the viewer time to reflect on all the information which is being played at you prior to the silence, also within the gaps in talking where the film has text overlaying a static or blury image with the words like “ I ADDRESS THE PEOPLE OF CHILE. THE WORKER. THE FARMER, THE INTELLECTUAL WHO WILL BE PERSECUTED” (Shadbkosh (A Dictionary), 2013, film) and “IT DOES NOT MATTER YOU WILL CONTINUE HEARING I WILL ALWAYS BE NEXT TO YOU" (Shadbkosh (A Dictionary), 2013, film). The use of these words in capital letters are used to shock and give the viewer something to remember, and for it to be a memorable piece of work.

Overall, my experience was a positive one i feel that i learnt a lot from the various displays, personally I took more from the film work than the actual installations but overall the exhibition really blew me away and made me open my eyes up to the bigger picture. 

CMCS: Saacha (The Loom)
Date: 2001; Language: Marathi; Duration: 48 min
Director: Anjali Monteiro, K.P. Jayasankar
Directed by Anjali Monteiro and K. P. Jayasankar. 49 Mins, English and Marathi versions

Bibliography

• TATE MODERN 13:09:2013
• Shadbkosh (A Dictionary) (2013) Directed by Pallavi Paul [Documentary] india, courtesy  of the film maker.
• Saacha (The Loom) (2011) Directed by Anjali Monterio, K.P Jayasankar [ DOcumentary] courtesy of the film maker.