Head in the Clouds, 2005
Global Arts Village, New Delhi, India
This performance creates a moment of complete freedom. Freedom from colour, from caste, from hierarchies. The ‘sky’ is a metaphor for the universal connection across time and space: a symbol, everyone can identify as theirs. It is a personification of equality and beauty.
People from marginalized groups: ‘helpers/servants/sweepers’ are teamed with ‘more fortunate’ ones. Half the group is given a piece of sky in the form of a cube and the chance to experience no boundaries.
The amorphous sky merged with the cube creates a beautiful contrast and complements the human form. The sky cube is akin to a veil transforming the person who wears it. The performance goes through a transition from the structured geometry of society to a fluid, rhythmic and energetic burst. It builds confidence and gives hope while remaining an abstraction open to interpretation
With thanks to Sanjeev Shankar for his help with the performance.
