A Solo Exhibition by Parag Tandel Curated by Shaunak Mahbubani TARQ Mumbai, Aug - Sept 2023
".. just as this earth is one island in archipelagoes of stars. My first friend was the sea. Now, is my last." — Derek Walcott, After The Storm
Amidst the din of incessant urbanization it is often forgotten that Mumbai was originally an archipelago of islands. The Koli people have inhabited this region for centuries before its recorded history begins, carefully stewarding the vibrant ecology of these lands and waters.
Primarily passing down knowledges through oraliture, the Kolis have been precluded from the process of writing their own history. To counteract this erasure, Parag Tandel, from Thane's Chendani Koliwada, presents new bodies of sculpture that narrate the complexity of his community’s traditions, foregrounding food, fishing, and faith.
Tracing a route from the arrival of the Portuguese to the current coastal road development, Tandel brings us into contact with a range of interconnected stories. From 17th century colonial policies which outlawed ago-old Jambul wine making processes, to local recipes under threat from oceanic pollution. Simultaneously fostering new possibilities, we witness a unique collaboration with Dokhra metalcraft artists from the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, alongside an assembly of ecstatic thread sculptures — talismans to cast spells for inter-species coastal futures.
Eschewing imperial modes of recording such as maps and ledgers, the artist instead looks to the realm of affect to create a distinct form of archiving that resonates with the heritage of his people. A method that can be seen within the context of what Caribbean philosopher Édouard Glissant has called archipelagic thinking — one that balances acts of belonging and ways of being in relation with the world, that refuses top-down hegemonies to propose a form of knowing that is “rooted and open, in harmony and in errantry”.
Although he works across multiple media, we see that Tandel is a sculptor at heart. Presenting a solo show after seven years, one can observe a profound leap in the artist's practice, felt most within his immersion into research-driven material culture that channels his Koli ancestry while being in dialogue with the rapidly changing state of the city, and the global climate crisis at large.
Moving between Tandel's islands of time and material metaphor, within the waterways of the erstwhile and to-be Bombai archipelago, we are invited to honour the perennial flow of indigenous memory in which tides whirl wisdom, celebration, loss, and resilient hope.