Embedded Files
Title - "While erasing"
Medium- single channel Digital video
Run time- 13 minutes 26 seconds
Year - 2021-2023
This video work combines two distinct ideas: the fleeting nature of time, nostalgia, and our connection to physical and digital spaces. It weaves together two separate moments in a single visual narrative.
In the left part, I'm seen cleaning my university studio, a place filled with personal memories and creative endeavors. This cleaning process serves as a symbol for reclaiming personal space and emphasises our bond with physical environments.
The right part shifts to the digital realm, showing the deletion of posts from my Instagram account, "post rebirth," during the pandemic. This account contains a collection of my creative works, including text, photos, and videos. Deleting these posts while reflecting on them highlights the transience of digital content and evokes nostalgia and also questions the idea of the self.
By blending these two experiences into one visual space, the video prompts viewers to think about the balance between personal and public in the digital age. It underscores how sharing personal aspects online can blur the lines between privacy and publicity. which prominently talks about this time we are living.
Additionally, the work draws inspiration from Robert Rauschenberg's erased de Kooning piece, which challenged my concept of art. I've always contemplated the idea of erasing, and this work relates to that notion. Sometimes, the act of erasure can affirm our existence, even if it's fleeting, like a passing moment that still holds significance.
This video invites viewers to explore the evolving boundaries of personal and public in our interconnected world, all while reflecting on the power of erasure and its role in defining our existence.
Souvik Majumdar is an artist and educator based in Kolkata, India, whose work explores the complex dimensions of the human condition. His art practice includes exploration of various mediums, including video, photography, painting, drawing, and sound, allowing him to investigate fundamental questions about consciousness, sexuality, identity. He is also interested in the influence of technology especially filters and algorithms on the idea self .
Souvik holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art Practice from Shiv Nadar University and a BFA in Painting from The Indian College of Arts and Draftsmanship.
He has received notable recognition for his work, having been awarded the CCRT Young Artist scholarship from 2010 to 2015, and he was selected for several prestigious art projects and exhibitions. These include the Kochi Muziris Student Biennale (2016 & 2021), the Building Bridges project with Emergent Art Space (2017-2019), and the Random Variables project at the WNDX Festival of Moving Image in Canada (2018).
His work has been featured in various national and international venues, such as the Serendipity Art Festival in Goa, the International Meeting on Video-Dance and Video Performance in Valencia, Spain, and the ESMoA Video Art + Film Festival. He was also part of the TikTok Digital Residence at IN-SONORA Festival,Spain. Souvik is also a faculty member in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Calcutta International School.
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