reFrame is a wonderful initiative expanding the ambit of creative work in India. It celebrates the collective energies of art and artists from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and practices. Their work finds itself at an intersection of addressing pertinent social questions and contemporary art. reFrame organizes public culture projects, pedagogical initiatives, festivals, and other interactive programs that provide a platform for strengthening the voices of present-day independent artists.
The reFrame team comprises an eminent set of intellectuals and practitioners from the fields of film, art, installation, writing, animation, programming, cultural practice, theory, and activism who propel its creative vision forward. The initiative was conceptualized by feminist activist, documentary filmmaker, and mixed media artist, Vani Subramanian.
In a heteronormative world, we are often forced into binaries. Do | Don’t. Can | Cannot. Us | Them. Good | Bad. Uniform | Diverse. Touchable | Untouchable. Moral | Immoral. Abled | Disabled. Safe | Unsafe. Women, trans*, queer, and other marginalized folks who may or may not conform to these hard and fast binaries, find themselves affected in ways that compel them to speak out.
reFrame has provided the platform to amplify those voices. The 21 artworks produced under their genDeralities fellowships which were awarded between 2020-2022 are being showcased at this year’s Gender Festival, popularly known as G-Fest. Other than the exhibited artworks, the festival also includes live performances by @jyotsnasmailbox and @abhishekanicca, panel discussions, and screening of LGBTQIA+ films such as Searcher by @culdivsac, Can They Hear Our Songs by Mehdi Jahan, Siege in the Air by @womanwithamovingcamera, A Winter’s Elegy by @kash_chhabra and Ek Jagah Apni by @ektaracollective.
G-Fest
Date: April 1 2023- April 16, 2023
Venue: Studio Safdar, New Delhi
G-Fest is an ongoing 16-day-long celebration of artists and the art spanning across media, form, and aesthetic language, and painting a much-needed picture of the lived realities of women, transgender and queer folk in India today.
If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:
Attend A Delhi Exhibit Mapping Out Alternative Histories Through Magical Realism
Visit A New Delhi Sculptural Exhibit That Mimics A Living, Breathing Coral Reef
'Untouchable': A Comedy Special By Manjeet Sarkar Is On Tour For Dalit History Month