Unbound and Untethered
Internship with artist Devika Sundar
Arts Research Project, IFA
supported by India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore
2022 - 2023
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Abstract: The female body exists as a complex, conflicted and culturally coded site of experience. In India, female-specific pain, illness and experience is routinely dismissed, misdiagnosed and stigmatised as psychosomatic, erratic and emotionally rooted within largely patriarchal medical spheres.
Examining the complex, elusive quality of female-specific pain and subjective patient experience against standardised diagnostic testing / clinical procedures, Devika explores why symptoms of poorly understood invisible conditions such as Lyme disease, endometriosis, PCOS, fibromyalgia and complex autoimmune illnesses that predominantly affect the female population are routinely missed or negated amongst primary care physicians and medical professionals. The project intends to unpack and extend its inquiry through gathering and documenting shared experiences around female-specific pain and illness, drawing from personal narratives Devika has encountered in her journey, within her family, friends, extended circles and online communities.
Read more @ devikasundar.com
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Phase 1
Gathering a Visual Archive: Medical imagery, Manuscripts, Charts and Drawings
Preparing Body Maps for Workshop:
Phase 2
Participant body maps and markings
Conversation notes
Artworks by Devika Sundar
Motion experiments
Artworks by Devika Sundar
The video tries to imitate the quality of creatures of the ocean. The treatment includes use of printed art pieces from Devika's collection, soaked overnight in a solution of oil and water. The elements have been placed on layers of acrylic sheets to create the overlapping effect.
It was made as part of an exploration during the internship.
Unbound and Untethered, Research Journal
Explorations with materials
Chronic pain specific to women is under-researched. My experience with chronic pain was only noticed when I started working on this project with Devika. With a lot of material to read and interviews to go through, I picked up the courage to consult a professional. This project helped me grow, understand and empathise with not just the participants but also a larger section of people. Medicine needs to evolve just like everything around is evolving. How many doctors are really challenging medicine in today's context?