Nocturnal

Blueroof art community,Hetangyuese, JingJiang district, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
September 19 -- October 31, 2014
http://www.swpassart.com/news/201410/153_203.html








I communicated with audiences of the exhibition space of Chengdu, China from my country . I have a series of photographs of night which I took with digital camera, android  phone camera, video camera.  I sent  350 selected images for exhibition. I offered audiences to exchange their views about night and asked them to send their photographs of night, I also offered them to  take any of the printed images of my exhibition. I accepted all the  images of audiences who have taken photos with iPhone, mobile phone or any kind of camera. I drafted my hand-written offer for exhibition which is translated in Chinese and displayed with my works.

Although I have no experience of the audiences of Chengdu, I connected myself through particular visual experiences.  Some of the audiences sent me their night visions expressing through images. In this way, the activities of the 'Nocturnal' became a phenomenon which could excite our spirit. Night is dark, but it's not absolute- we are able to continue our journey in that darkness. My 'Nocturnal' is a kind of journey. If  people feel the motivation to carry on that journey with me, it's a chance to communicate with those people from every corner.

Image sample- 'Nocturnal' (which I have taken)

赵萌 (zhaomeng996@gmail.com) 

等 (1051602216@qq.com)

Image sample- 'Nocturnal ((Exchange photographs from Chinese audiences)

drop the matter please

Single Channel Video Installation with sound

3 Minutes 48 Seconds 

First Show at Young  Artists Art Exhibition 2014

National Art Gallery, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Some events of my childhood,

I wanted to play some games that others play but did not know how to play or could not play that game. Some toys were so attractive to me that I could spend a whole day only with those toys without disturbing others or without being disturbed. I could throw those toys on stairs or on the floor. I got the idea of this video from those unfulfilled desires. Still, those memories inspire me to live the life in the midst of limitless suffering, lacking and dissatisfaction.

I made the part of this video project ‘Drop the Matter Please’ in a bit unclear, soft light to projection on terrace floor.

drop the matter please from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

I made another part of ‘drop the matter’  in 2011 taking the scene and sound of dropping marbles from stairs, which I presented in 2012 in Dhaka Art Summit.

Image 19th Young Artists Art Exhibition, National

Art Gallery, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2014

drop the matter please from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

Untitled

Performance

Shilpakala Academy Chittagong,  Bangladesh

December  21,  2013

 http://vimeo.com/98241383
Untitled from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.


The performance dedicated to martyred of Liberation War of 71 in Bangladesh. The performance event named '71 Minutes and 16 Seconds' which is actually inspired by date 16 December, 1971.  The year, 2013 was a special year for (Shahbag protest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Shahbag_protests) the trial of war criminals. Though I expressed my solidarity with the movement, I was reacting with the activities about the chaos of political propaganda which is actually creating difficulties against peoples’ claim for trial of war criminal.

 In my activity, I broadcasted my recorded voice where I announce the name of Pakistani armies and their Bangladeshi collaborators who are accused of war crime.  I threw talcum powder on the floor of gallery. Then I was cuffing and I broadcasted it on the microphone. When the talcum powder  was finished I cleaned the dust and powder using a blower and broadcasted noise of blower  highly loaded using the microphone.

Wastage Abstract

Site-specific Project

Cheragi Art Show 2013

Open Space at Cheragi Lane, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Organized by Jog Alternative Art Space

Cheragi Lane is well known area for printing press. I had a plan to create art activities from my temporary involvement with press. I selected the area, because here people are involved with press for their live and livelihood. I took videos of some presses and press equipped areas of Cheragi Lane. I recorded the process of printing. I collected the left over parts of different kinds of publications like leaflets, booklets, posters, newspapers, magazines etc.Then, I made posters with them, use the wasted parts of publications.

After completing the collage posters I pasted them on the wall of Cheragi Lane with my installation and some area of Cheragi Lane. In installation I used a huge of wastage papers from the presses. I installed dual channel videos- one of them showed press machine’s working and the other one shows the place of cheragi where presses held. I installed the work near the press office of Cheragi Lane.

Dual channel video sample 

Wastage Abstract from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

Images of installation 

Video detail

Wastage Abstract,  Double Channel Video from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

Wastage Abstract, Double Channel Video from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

pish

May 18, 2013, Performance, Solo Performance Art Evening,
Organized and Supported by Gallery Studio 21, Kolkata, India
Materials: Colorful ribbons, flute, Ghats (Clay Potteries), snow, rose leafs etc.

It was the time to go back home soon, it was the natural and political disorder, it was the time to be responsible for something to do for my family and friends, it was a restless time to think about the justice and verdict, death and struggle of people and it was the situation of mine to make chaos.

The Gallery, Studio 21 invited me to present live performance in the last week of India tour. In that moments my visa had a few days to stay in India. During the moment my homeland Bangladesh was going through some terrible situation like political turmoil, collapsing of garments factory, trial of War criminals of liberation war of Bangladesh, aggression of fundamentalist parties, minority suppressions etc. So I was struggling to find an expression of my emotional distress.

pish from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

I collected some local potteries (Ghats) which are available in Kolkata. I decorated 2 potteries with flowers, ribbons, leafs. One of the potteries I used for make an annoying sound of flute. I gave audiences some flutes. During the performance I decorated the floor with ribbons, roses, bandages, and made sound from the ghats (pottery) and audiences also made sound by flute with me. I sprayed the snow on the gallery. When the ribbons ended then I broke the Ghats, and stopped all sound.

Photographs: Manas Acharya, from Studio 21 Gallery, Kolkata, India. 

Once upon a playtime

Single Channel Video, 3 Minutes 4 Seconds, 2012, Chittagong.

This video is one of my childhood memory. I made some sound effect of vehicles. I used my voice with some kids.  The video starts with the sound of vehicles and smoke on the toys. The sound continues, some drop of water fall and then the toys crashed on an unknown way.

Once upon a playtime from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

The art exhibition titled “Path!”, a tribute to Bangladeshi independent film director Tareque Masud, cinematographer-journalist Mishuk Munier and  their team Wasim, Jamal, Mustafiz  who died in a road accident near Ghior Upazila on 13 August 2011 while returning to Dhaka from Manikhanj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway after visiting a shooting location.  Path!(পথ!) is a Bengali word which English meaning 'The Way!'.

An Essay

2012

Installation

July 12-16, 2012

Bishuad Bangla, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Photo print, Nets, Clips, Sting, High Pressure Sodium Light

This is an essay, a visual essay of my present condition. Here I followed my everyday living and tried to look myself . I ran after myself .Taking some other elements from my place and time I introduced some of my unexpressed views. -This is my offer.

 

 

 Installation Images

I followed myself on my recent everyday life activities with the camera. All the photos are taken by my self during the working time. Every photo has shown my face or parts of my body.  Most of the times I used mobile camera. Then I selected approximately 500/ 600 photos ( sometimes changed during the show) and  made small size like  7cmX9cm for installation.   I printed the photos on photo papers and then I attached the all the photos with net which is installed surrounding the whole gallery room. I used a sodium light with the gallery arrangements. 

   

 

Sample of the photos

Halt

Single Channel Video,
First Show
July 12, 2012, Bishaud Bangla, Chittagong

 http://vimeo.com/52981391
  Halt from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

Some unexplainable sudden happenings can make a chaos before I see or understand about those. Memories become blur. The obscurity is a kind of consequence. In this way, I am going on where I feel risk in my every step and then the bitterness of stumbling. The short video translated from my own personal experiences about nightmare and wakefulness. I recorded my face tumbling on mud and its sound. I recorded this with a bleak light.

Video Still

HORN !

Show at Open space of Cheragi Lane, Chittagong
May, 2012. Video Installation and Performance


In our everyday life, we are sometimes warned, sometimes conscious, or sometimes embarrassed by the harsh sound of vehicles’ horn. I have adjusted the horn of the vehicles in a dress through sensor and battery. When someone move wearing this dress and if he comes closer to other person or thing, the bell will ring.I documented a video  where some young men  wore the shirt  to perform on some area. Then I installed the video and dress on the open space  at show. The people who felt  interest about the dress after knowing the activities of it, they performed wearing the dress.
This activities mainly dedicated to the Mirsarai tragedy of Chittagong where the student killed by road accident.

Horn! from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

The Road

Performance

The 4th PAN Asia

Performance Art Network Asia 2011

Seoul Art Space_Mullae, South Korea

October 18, 2011

Supported by

Arts Council Korea, Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture, Seoul Art Space_Mullae, Youngdeungpo-gu

I performed at two different venues: one was at Seoul Mullae Hall and the other was at Gowanju Museum of Art in South Korea. These performances are a reflection of my reaction to the unexpected events in lives. That reaction is about the sudden death and accident of my friends, relatives, and well-wishers.

Seoul Art Space_Mullae
October 18, 2011,
Materials: Shaving cream, Razor, Flowers, Toys Car, Bag.








 I sprayed some shaving cream on the floor. Then I took shaving cream from the floor with a razor and rubbed the shaving cream on my face. Then I placed some toy cars on the floor covered with shaving cream. I broke the cars one after another. Then I kept some flowers in that place. I hold a bouquet on my chest for a few minutes. I used some sound effects recorded from street for the performance

Gwangju Museum of Art
October 22, 2011
Materials: Flowers, Toys( Snow and Flutes), Colorful Ropes

http://vimeo.com/73214877
The Road from Palash Bhattacharjee on Vimeo.

 I used some colorful ropes. I attached these ropes decorated with flowers, and a Flute (Korean called ‘Piri’, this kind of flute), and gave the audience one end of the rope and some ‘Piri’. I played a ‘Piri’, and the audience played with me that create a sound effect. I walked playing the ‘Piri’ and kept flowers after some steps. At last, I stopped playing and broke ‘Piri’, and then I sprayed snow all over the place.

The Whistle...

Single Channel Video/ 9 Minutes/South Korea /2011

National Museum of Contemporary Art, South Korea.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two

worlds as one and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

-from 'Only Breath' by Rumi

A whistle is a sound created by our breath. Our breath does not have any border or word. It makes a kind of sound. Our breath can create some melodies that are made in our memory. These whistles are proving that we are alive here. Here, word or color, gender or job does not matter. We are one human being, an important part of the universe. The sound that comes from our lovely breath is our lovely universal whistle.

I collected various whistles from immigrant people in Korea who do different kinds of jobs here; some of them are factory workers, teachers, students, and businessmen. I visited some areas in Korea where these people live. I joined in some dinner, games, and get get-together and asked some of them whether they are interested in giving their favorite whistle of any song or music. From those immigrants, I collected some whistles and videos and recorded them.

I went to different places in Korea where these immigrant people stay, and sometimes I was introduced to them in subways and buses. In the video, they are from China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand. In addition, one of the Koreans who helps immigrant workers is also included. Most of them know Korean as a second language.

Last one minute, this video shows black & white images, where the people are dancing, cooking, and playing Volleyball. In these places, I met lots of unregistered immigrants who are struggling for their livelihood. But they seemed happy; they just acted happy. Some of them frequently shift from one place to another due to many socio-political problems. This video is my imaginative expression where I show some people expressing their memories through whistling. There are lots of things for expressing one's personal feelings and identity, like words, language, flag, border, gender, color, religion, education, economy, population, crime, etc. But breathing is a common organic process that all human beings experience similarly. So I focused this video on this important common organic process through which people can make music and music, an auditory communication that comforts our hearts.