Freedom to March

As a foreigner living in India I am often drawn to events or art which can illuminate some of the complex history of this very complicated land and so it was with considerable expectation that I visited the "The Freedom to March Exhibition" that is taking place at present in the Indira Ghandi National Centre for the Arts,CV Mess, Janpath New Delhi.

To put it into historical context this is all about Ghandi's walk to Dandi  when on 12th March of 1930 he set off to produce salt without paying the tax and as he marched towards Dandi on the coast many people joined him. This was the beginning of an act of civil disobedience against the British who had imposed the salt taxes on the Indians.

 

In this context the artists were asked to go on the walk and produce art that was inspired by this experience.The list of participants is impressive and the art is warming and magical and well worth seeing.

For me what was a particular joy was seeing two of the works of Vicky Roy who is one of the Salaam Baalak "graduates" who has established himself as a well known and respected photographer. Here are both of his works, the second of which I am very drawn to.

There was a plethora of works that caused us to dawdle and circle and come back to. This one , part of a diptych was a real favourite not least because of the technique which went into producing it.

These footsteps composed of rubber soled shoes all carefully sown together makes even the casual bystander  keen to follow the route and explore the path within.