WHAT:
PHOTO-BASED INSTALLATION
WHERE:
INDIA
WHEN:
1999
GHAR - at home in India
The pictures in the exhibition “Ghar – at home in India” were taken in December 1998. The exhibition is a praise to my friends in India. Instead of taking classical family potraits, I tried to capture the “pauses” that emerge while taking pictures; the moments when the telephone rings, or the children get tired of being still. I tried to avoid organizing the spaces or directing the people in them, but instead let them find their natural place in the setting. The resulting randomness reveals the atmosphere of the home. My interest in Indian homes arose a couple of years ago when I noticed the dramatical change in the homes of my friends.
In five years the importance of the television has grown in Indian homes: the people have moved in from the patios and gathered around the TV sets. The influence of satellite channels can be seen in the interiors. The change is shown in different ways in different social classes. In many cases the homes of the super rich have lost all the national characteristics, while the poorest mix new trends with the tradition and may place a plastic “Love” clock in the middle of holy pictures.
