The Kalchakra, 2019

An art installation in partnership with Warli Tribe of Dahanu and Art02, for the Tribal Development Department, Govt. of Maharashtra

Time is a human invention. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity there is no constant measurement of time. Because it is always changing. Autochthonous groups measure time based on the movement of planets in space. The position of the moon and sun, patterns of migratory birds, movement of seas determine the seasons and the time of year. Kalchakra brings to attention how alternative methods of measurement are in fact more accurate than dominant modes of determining time.

Two bamboo structures take the form of vertical and horizontal arrangement to form the traditional Warli human shape. The surface of the bamboo is painted with narratives of how time is measured and understood by Warli tribes.

Positioned alongside each other, the shadow of the artwork enables viewers to decipher the time of day while also allowing them to interpret the paintings that convey stories of time in its perpetual ephemerality.