Anita Dube's performance, 'Keywords', at Khoj Studios (2005)

Anita Dube and Asim Waqif’s exhibition, KEYWORDS AND BAANS was planned as part of an initiative to bring creative practitioners from diverse disciplines together at KHOJ studios, in the hopes of creating a stimulating environment for critical discourse and dialogue. The exhibition brought together contemporary artist Anita Dube with young architect Asim Waqif. In Anita Dube’s performance, ‘Keywords’, tetters were cut and words were written from slabs of meat, she invited the audience to dissect their meanings and histories in collaboration with her. The work aimed to explore the movement from the body to concept, whilst also examining the idea of performance as an embodiment of theatrical power and pedagogy. Materiality is incredibly significant to Dube in this work and the choice of meat is a reference to religious symbology and commentary.“The question I am asking is how you can give body to things by experimenting with materials and embodying words.” – Anita Dube.