Sashawhyy

A large wooden nest occupies the center of the terrace space of Gallery G159. An oversized book, a well-lit colorful corner and a table with drawing paper and colors surround the nest. A 10 x 18 foot mural of a bird made by Sasha M covers the only wall on the terrace. Brightly colored plastic tape and thread create defined shapes and stand in contrast with the organic form of the nest. Perched on its branch, the bird seems to keep watch over visitors huddled in the nest.

Curated by Sasha M and Avnit Kaur, Cafake is an interactive art experience that plays on the words ‘fake’ and ‘cafe’. The cafe themed exhibition featured works by 5 artists from Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology.

Each artist was given a section of a satirically designed menu along with a space for their art. Ordering items on the menu triggered specific interactions with each artwork. At the ‘Superhero factory’ artist Priyadarshan Gajbhiye helped visitors draw unique superheroes. Mohna Singh’s art piece ‘Selfie Corner’ provided visitors different props to click photographs with.

Since no actual food exists on the menu, off-menu snacks and beverages were provided to visitors at the low cost of critiquing any artwork. Payment was accepted in verbal or written form by the curators at a small service desk.

The performative experience challenged normative perceptions of gallery spaces and of cafes. As the relationship between the quality of critique and the monetary value of food was undefined, visitors worked harder to give sincere reviews. When asking for a second helping, they tried to dive deeper into each piece often discovering new personal meanings. The experience design encouraged visitors to find creative ways to connect with the artworks and with each other. One visitor even used music to express his critique.

This four day pop-up exhibition was installed at Gallery G159 in Yelahanka, Bangalore. By popular demand the gallery extended the show for an additional two days.

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