Site Specific  I  Project JanPath  I  Delhi, India
2013
Striped Fabric Stretched on Board

A site-conditioned intervention within a residential space in Delhi, it was one of two such engagements under the larger umbrella of a group exhibition August Exhibition. Here, the presence of two hollow openings embedded in an exposed-brick wall with horizontal grooves became the point of departure. Rather than introducing an independent form, I worked with this existing architectural structure having its distinct visual character, by stretching the printed fabrics within the cavities of the wall. The two fabrics carried their own linear patterns- while one had regular, clearly defined straight stripes, another depicted slightly angular lines. These juxtaposed contrasting lines facilitated a visual dialogue between the constructed lines of the fabric and the natural, bricked lines of the wall it stood against.

Meant to redirect the attention of the viewer not onto the patterned fabric lines upon being encountered but rather on the existing brick lines surrounding it. The intervention operates on shifting the viewer’s gaze, making them an active participant in the work and prompting them to discover or notice something that otherwise might have remained overlooked. This act of looking extends much beyond the artwork, as it encourages within them a heightened sense of awareness of such mundane details in the everyday spaces they encounter on the outside.

Link to the project https://parulguptastudio.com/work/august-exhibition/