There?s a part of France where a quarter of the population is of Indian ancestry. It was in this potential of Bonjour India to throw up unexpected gems that part of the excitement had been. The two-month long festival is bringing different aspects of France to the country, but few realise that a tiny part of France lies right in the middle of the Indian Ocean, pretty close to India.
A tiny speck, Reunion is 20 minutes by flight from Mauritius. Yet this island, little known in India, is one of spectacular beauty and interesting mix of cultures. Yes, about a quarter of the population is of Indian ancestry?largely Tamil and Gujarati, who with the French, Creole, African and Chinese make up the other communities in this French department, informs curator Francine M?oule.
And it is this mix of cultures along with the island?s violent geography that exercises artists? imaginations here. A travelling exhibition, Offshore Territory, which is bringing 11 artists from the island to India, reflects the influence of both amply. In an island where active volcanoes are neighbours and the violence of the sea is unpredictable, but sure to recur repeatedly, the aesthetic response indicates a certain coming of terms.
?The relative isolation of the island has forced us to have an even closer focus on it and examine our relation to it,? says Pascale Simonet, one the 11 artists participating in this three city exhibition. Her work, Head-toy, a DVD as well as stills, brings out the violent nature of the island?stormy seas, fiery volcanoes. She is there is every still, but only as a silhouette, helping focus the attention on the subject. ?The artists are more involved in their artwork as they are in greater danger on the island, which is very small compared to the forces of nature surrounding it,? she feels.
Reunion-born Stefan Barniche too draws on the spectacles of nature to make his point. One of his creations, a nearly 15-metre scroll, is composed of ink spread by water and wind. ?I just put out the paper, I did not know what would result when the elements played on it,? he says. An impressive array of greys is the rather gratifying result. ?I need the chaos,? says the artist who has trained in Paris and expressed himself in a number of forms, including sound, photography, animation, writing and drawing and describes Reunion as a crossroads between cultures. His other work at the show, untitled, involve rapid sticking of cut adhesive tape to paper in a miniature series. Amongst the most striking works in the exhibition is a glowing words in white?Negropolitude. A portmanteau word from the combination of negro, metropolis and attitude, this is the creation of metal artist Jean-Claude Jolet, who has been depicting his idea of the island?s culture through his works. His challenge lies in making tangible the ?indescribable? Creole-Reunionese cul- ture, a unique amalgam. Putting the word negro in stark white is not something people see often, he says explaining his copper and glass creation that lights up when connected.
