Gender issues find wider expression through arts

Gender-related concepts have always been an area of interest for artistes — be it performance, movement or visual forms. So far, however, films (particularly shorts), paintings, narratives and research papers have been the most preferred mediums of expression or storytelling. Expanding the horizon, a bunch of artistes from across the country came together to put up a collective, in which they made an attempt to re-purpose the art forms they specialize in to understand and further the discourse on gender through new and innovative ideas.
A fresh perspective
“The aim is to go beyond the binaries and instill a fresh perspective on a subject matter that, until now, has only been limited to books or cinema. Instances like the Nirbhaya case need to be put forth in as many diverse ways as possible for common people to understand and reflect on. For example, the Gender Bender project includes a piece that tells audiences the story of two school kids, but from the perspective of a boy and a girl. Discussions on the lost history of women are also not uncommon, but we need more art forms to come to the fore to touch upon a varied range of topics that still seem to be limited only to a handful of platforms,” says actor and arts manager Shiva Pathak.
Using our senses as a guide
Immersive theatre artist Aruna Ganesh Ram’s work dramatic piece, titled Coloured and Choosing, aims at breaking stereotypes and biases that usually shroud gender issues, and open up imagination. “We encourage members of the audience to get engaged in the performance that largely involves the senses — primarily, touch. It’s about a person’s ability to make choices with a more holistic and nuanced approach,” explains Aruna.
Exploring the sensorial landscape further, dancer-choreographer Diya Naidu crafts an act that traverses over touch and intimacy to help the spectator give a fresh look at the dynamics within a broader canvas. “Through our movement arts performance, which is devised along the principles employed in the Rorschach inkblot test, we have tried to question certain gender-related ideas that are ingrained in our minds since the early years of our life, and hence are instrumental in shaping our psychology,” says Diya.
Putting the conventional in a modern context
What’s often seen as a traditional medium has upped its relevance in a very modern and topical avatar. Puppeteer Varun Narain, for example, used this art form with a twist — merging global warming with gender issues. “My project is loosely inspired by the book, The Secret Life of Plants. The three characters of the puppet show comprise three spice plants — saffron, cardamom and garlic. It largely shows that things at a level of evolvement,” Varun says, adding, “Modern Indian puppetry that mixes indigenous elements with that of other nations like Japanese art could be a strong medium that needs to delved into more.”