Questions of Freedom

Joag says,“Binayak Sen was released last month after years of imprisonment on charges of sedition. So,this is the time to question democracy and our right to dissent.” The opening of the art exhibition on Tuesday evening marked the opening of this week-long initiative. It will conclude on May 30 with a panel discussion where Dr Sen will be a participant.

At Clark House,an old office space in Colaba,an art exhibition showcases mixed media works by some of Mumbai’s leading artists. Joag has contributed to the exhibition with an intricate butterfly drawn entirely of the words ‘justice’,‘freedom’,‘representation’ and ‘equity’. The body of the butterfly is made of the word ‘democracy’. According to Joag,this is significant because “at the moment our democracy is as fragile as the body of the butterfly.”

At the end of Clark House’s corridor,a small space has been cordoned off. Joag will spend the next six days there,writing,“I will not lose faith in the Indian Judiciary and Democracy” in notebooks. This will ultimately be sent to the Minister of Law and Justice Veerappa Moily.

Also on display are installations by Shilpa Gupta,Reena Kallat,Riyas Komu and Prajakta Potnis,paintings by Anju Dodiya,Atul Dodiya and Bose Krishnamachari and video installations by Majlis.

As a part of the initiative,two films will be screened at the M C Ghia Hall,Kala Ghoda,on May 27. This will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers. The first,A Doctor to Defend: The Binayak Sen Story is a film by Minnie Vaid,and the second is a 1978 film by Anand Patwardhan called Prisoners of Conscience. On the final day,the panel discussion will be followed by a performance by Mahmood Farooqui and Danish Husain,titled Dastan-e-Sedition.