Capturing marginalised communities: Chennai's Ambedkar Nagar
Yazhini studied at Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. She captured the tiny universe caught within the ever-expanding city. Amidst the daily din and chaos, she observed life spilling into the lanes and by-lanes of this settlement colony in a marginalized part of the city.
Devotees dancing in trance by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
It is the most normal of sights that she documents with her lens.
But the normalcy is only within Ambedkar Nagar.
To the world outside, the sights may be unseen, uncommon, even unsettling.
Yazhini comes closer to her subjects to absorb the uncertain future of the people in the colony.
The tiny houses in Ambedkar Nagar become too small to accommodate all activities performed in the house by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
It is the kind of place that is destined to remain so forever.
Many of the people own small shops adjacent to or in front of their houses in which they sell food, meat and groceries by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
For the residents it’s their world.
Bhogi - the day before Pongal by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
...where every day is a repetition of itself...
Women are seen performing unpaid and paid labour throughout the day by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
even with the ongoing pandemic...
Stagnant water in streets and houses after rains by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
There is always stagnant water after rains.
Untitled by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
Yazhini relates the unchanged daily life in Ambedkar Nagar to the fact that it is untouched by the spreading malady.
The bathing, cooking, washing vessels, and clothes are moved out diminishing boundaries of private and public lives by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
The hope is for the place not to deteriorate with time.
Untitled by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
There is the bustle of daily activities that can no longer be accommodated inside the tiny homes.
Untitled by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
There are fish vendors by the lanes.
Ambedkar nagar is filled with small fish vendors in the weekends by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
Setting up their wares on the road side, the fish vendors continue as normal.
A shop which sells authentic food products from North Eastern India by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
There are migrant workers who have settled in the community.
Untitled by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
There is always festivity.
Untitled by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
The residents participate in many celebrations.
The daily activities spills out into the space outside their homes retaining space only for the most private activities by Yazhini ANKochi-Muziris Biennale
Yazhini captures the people in Ambedkar Nagar with her empathetic lens.
The Students’ Biennale seeks to complement and strengthen the fine arts education system in India and is the largest educational initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. The fourth edition was led by a team of five artists and art educators – Adip Dutta, Archana Hande, Manoj Vyloor, Suresh K Nair and Vasudha Thozhur, and featured 314 student artists from over 62 education institutions across India to produce approximately 45 projects.
Compiled and Edited by Mala Yamey
https://www.instagram.com/manojvyloor/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/yazhkiruki/
