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Köln - Bombay/ Indien
HOW OBVIOUS IS THE HYBRID?
HOW OBVIOUS IS THE HYBRID? Murals in the Streets of Cologne and Mumbai A collaboration of Niteen Gupte (India) and Sybille Pattscheck (Germany) Concept: Niteen Gupte, Artistic Design: Niteen Gupte and Sybille Pattscheck Photography and Video-filming: Valeri Krupski (Moskow-Cologne) and Werner Müller (Cologne)
The project concerns two walls in two cities, Mumbai and Cologne, and correlates them on two different levels (of meaning). The painting of a wall in an Indian city and in a German city have different connotations. In an Indian city, houses and tenaments are rarely renovated or repainted, unless they happen to have a representational value. In Germany, however, every tenant is committed as a part of the the leasing contract to follow the socalled „beautifying measures“ (Schoenheitsreparaturen) periodically; painting of the outer surface of the residential space is obligatory. Paradigmatically, the Indian wall in question has aquired the „painterly“ quality by itself, it has a rich patina consisting especially of stains of the „paan-saliva“ spit (a consequence of chewing tobacco along with a number of other ingredients considered to ease the digestion). To include more than one wall in more than one city of India demonstrates the pa(a)n-Indian everyday culture. This patina of the Indian wall, the colors (from dark brown to red and yellow) and the texture (drops, dripplings) serve as a model for the painting of the wall in Cologne, an isolated wall at the fence of the Luther-church (at the Martin-Luther-Platz, 50677 Cologne). However, the point is not a lifelike imitation. Taking the patina of the Indian wall as a point of departure, a piece of art develops, a Surface Poem, that is typical for the work of Niteen Gupte, the Flächengedicht 2000. The artistic adaptation or rather the artistic forming of the surface of the wall in India is accomplished merely by naming it "a piece of art". However, it is desired that a distinct signal is given that the wall has been treated artistically (see the concept Discovered Color and the Paan-Saliva Surface Poems, and the preliminary drafts by Sybille Pattscheck). Since a wall in a public space is not a static structure but a social sculpture, the walls including their surroundings will be photographed and filmed for documentation. This is to be accomplished by Valeri Krupski (Moskow-Cologne) in Still-Photography and Werner Müller (Cologne) in Film. In summer 2000 an excursion to India is planned, to explore and search for suitable walls and to negotiate with their respective owners. The realization of the wall design in India is planned for December/January 2000-2001. The wall in Cologne will be painted in summer 2001, and the entire project will be presented in the form of a catalogue and exhibition in Cologne. Towards the Realization of the Concept The conceived work of art that supercedes the concept of a bare secco-painting, has begun to take a concrete shape already by the journey to India by Niteen Gupte (May-June 2000). A number of walls in more than one Indian city that would be the painterly model for the wall in Cologne have been photographically documented. The presentation of the concept to the responsible persons/bodies (including the muncipal authorities, artists, intellectuals, environmental activists, and local bosses who rule the streets) has led to discussions on vaious themes, to heated arguments indeed, and to controversies. Though the primary aim has not been to show how „filthy“ the environment in the Indian cities actually is, the focussing on the spitting in the streets has been considered to be a negative portrayal of India. Besides, a number of issues arised, such as spitting and littering in the cities, campaignes and actions against it (which have also been documented photographically), the inadequate infrastructure to handle the waste in the modern Indian cities, chewing the paan as the final ritual of the traditional Indian meal, curbing the habit of spitting as an urban, „civilized“ (N. Elias) necessity, suppressing of the Indian traditions and the growing predominance of the European code of conduct and forms of modesty, etc. In the discursive sense, the concept has already produced immediate results. It is planned to approach the authorities who maintain the documented walls full of the paan-saliva patina for the permission to handle them artistically, as conceived, however without the hope of actually getting the permission. The immediate effect is likely to be the embarassement on the part of the authorities and the cleaning of the patina: The immediate result of the project as far as the visual aspect of the concept is concerned. As it is not likely, under the circumstances prevailing, that the artistic manoeuvre of the documented walls with the paan-saliva spit could be undertaken in painterly terms, as planned, some other wall will be painted. Permission has been sought for a wall in the socalled Art District of Mumbai, in the Kala Ghoda area. The painting will be done during December 2000 - January 2001. At the same time Niteen Gupte and Sybille Pattscheck are to hold an exhibition in the Artists’ Centre, Mumbai, and are to publish a catalogue. "img/letext_L2
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