JOIN USGender conversations
Nothing succeeds like the multiplicity of voices in art. Creating and shaping further conversations, the inclusive art festival Gender Bender 2021, committed to the exploration of gender, brought in its digital edition an interactive online space. The seventh edition of the gender discourse through art, put together by co-founders and artistic directors, Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak, of Sandbox Collective, brought in enervating expressions in a sensorial exploration of different perspectives.
Gender Bender found a platform in Sophiensaele in Berlin in 2020 and is now set to showcase at an international platform yet again in 2022, discovering its own vocabulary through critical conversations in thought-provoking visual anthologies. How have gender dynamics emerged as a thought-provoking digital manifestation, over the past seven years? Says Nimi Ravindran, “Last year we were caught unawares by the pandemic, which is why we only managed some documentation of the work created by the grantees. This year, with enough time to prepare, our application call clearly stated that the work created by the artists would have to be shown online in a digital space. This emerged collectively as the digital manifestation of Gender Bender. For instance, Bengaluru-based theatre actor and director Sharanya Ramprakash’s #Malashreechallenge could never have been possible at a physical festival. It was an attempt to create an online challenge that would hopefully go viral.” The festival started off as a one-evening showcase in 2015 and has slowly, steadily emerged into a focal talking point for art and gender, growing organically into an open space for new works, conversations, fun and celebration.
With the fusing of boundaries and barriers through elective discourse, what is the biggest link between art and gender that has come to the fore? “We are not sure we are exploring a link between art and culture, but we are certainly exploring ways in which the ‘idea’ of gender, or the gender conversation can be furthered through art. Sometimes it’s a starting point for a conversation, sometimes it’s an ongoing debate, sometimes it’s a new engagement or interaction. We’re not looking at mapping impact, or finding solutions. This is a constantly evolving fluid space…and we’re all learning and going with the flow. Our effort is to engage with the idea of gender with playfulness and joy,” explains Nimi.
Gender Bender has two components, the showcase of works by the grantees and a curated space with performances, exhibitions and workshops exploring cross-gender definitions through art and narrative artworks that challenge clichés, come to the fore in Sanathoi Leishangatham’s transgender ruminations, and Dr Shuchi Karim’s musings on LGBTQ, and Mauga — the deep beautiful side of a man. As the world finds newer ways to work, interact and engage, does a digital format compromise on aspects? “A digital arts festival is not ideal, and all of us agree that something is lost. But, something is also gained. It’s like what people have said about translations. We can’t read Iliad in Greek, we read it in English, something is lost in translation, but something is also gained. I think that’s the best way of looking at what we’re all dealing with. Our biggest takeaway is that we have to adapt and find ways to negotiate our new realities now with the pandemic, and in the future too. Perhaps all our future festivals will be hybrid, digital and physical,” says Nimi. What’s next for Sandbox Collective? “We’re already rolling with Gender Bender 22. Then there are two international works we’re producing for an India tour, a physical showcase of another project titled Smarter Digital Realities that we worked on with various resident artists spread across five cities, and other collaborative projects,” signs off Shiva.