Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam’s first solo exhibition, Burning Against the Dying of the Light, will open at Khoj Studios in New Delhi on 10th December 2015, from 6:30 PM onwards.
Burning Against the Dying of the Light is the first time several of their video installations and films are being presented in one venue and under a broad thematic rubric. The exhibition comprises a selection of works that investigates both Tibet’s ongoing political struggle and the transformations that are taking place in the Himalayan region that they live in, wrought by deliberate colonial policies, the impact of globalisation, or a combination of the two. Some of these works have been created specifically for this show, and others have never been shown before in India.
The title of the exhibition – Burning Against the Dying of the Light – refers, more specifically, to a new multi-media installation – the centerpiece of the show – which examines, contextualizes and reflects on the politics of protest in Tibet, especially in their latest manifestation – self-immolations.
Ritu and Tenzing have been making films together for three decades. Their work, which includes several documentaries, video installations and one dramatic feature, has focused on a number of recurring motifs and concerns. One such subject is Tibet, with which they have been intimately engaged on a number of different levels: personally, politically and artistically. Through their films, they have attempted to document, question and reflect on, the issues of exile, identity, politics and nationalism that confront the Tibetan people.
The presentation of this exhibition at Khoj is meaningful, not only because of the long relationship between the artists and the institution, and the synergies between each’s core mission, but because Burning Against the Dying of the Light comes at a time where there is a necessity for citizens and artists to raise their voices in the name of humanitarian causes and the protection of basic civil liberties.
