Kaleidoscope Digital Art Gallery (KDA) of Triveni Kala Sangam brings to the Delhi an incredible tale of courage and triumph — ‘Priya’s Mirror’. ‘Priya’s Mirror is a one-of-a-kind interactive exhibition that brings together art and augmented reality.
A couple of years ago, New York-based artist Ram Devineni introduced us to a new brand of comic book superheroes — those who don’t wear capes or have formidable powers, and those whose arch nemesis is the regressive mindset of Indian society. This modern day superhero, known simply as Priya, is a gang rape survivor. After being subjected to sexual assault she is cast out of her home. She prays to goddess Parvati for help and Parvati bestows on her the strength to take on her attackers while helping other survivors who have been at the receiving end of similar heinous crimes. She now travels the country on the back of a tiger fighting crimes and serving justice. Priya first made her appearance in the comic ‘Priya’s Shakti’ in 2014. ‘Priya’s Shakti’ focused on the issue of rape in India. Now, in its second volume ‘Priya’s Mirror,’ Priya will attempt to help survivors of acid attacks.
The exhibition opened on December 27, 2018 and will be open for public viewing until February 9, 2019. The exhibition is an attempt to create awareness using art. “I truly believe in the power of contemporary art and new technologies to bring about positive social change. Through Priya’s Mirror, we get inside the closed world of the victims. After suffering the gruesome attack they are ridiculed, shamed and ostracized by society. They internalize the derision and humiliation and suffer societal injustice; lonely and locked out of sight form the world. Priya’s Mirror is an important medium reflecting back our unjust socio-cultural norms. Importantly it also holds a hopeful mirror to the victims of acid attack on the possibilities of empowerment by providing a new age role model,” says curator Mukta Ahluwalia.
Priya’s Mirror has been created by filmmaker Paromita Vohra, Sundance Award winning documentary filmmaker Ram Devineni, actor Shubhra Prakash and Eisner Award nominated comic book creator Dan Goldman. Along with using augmented reality to bring to life the comic, the exhibition includes real-life accounts of acid attack survivors who inspired the comic’s characters and Parvati Saves the World, which is a remix film that “takes several old Bollywood mythological films from the 1970s and 80s and re-cuts them into a storyline that focuses on gender-based violence.”
Venue: Kaleidoscope Digital Art, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi.
Dates: December 27, 2018 to February 9, 2019.
Visit their website to know more.
If you like this article, we suggest you read: