Sashawhyy

Black screens and barbed wire divide a classroom in half. The only access to the other side is cordoned off by a velvet rope. A set of 4 chairs neatly placed around a wooden table stand in contrast to the clutter of chairs and desks on the other side.

‘The Polite Maximum’ began as an attempt to claim a permanent studio space for the Contemporary Art Practice department inside the Srishti campus. A shared classroom with other departments meant that in-progress work needed to be moved back and forth, putting it at a constant risk of damage.

To create a secure place for our work, we tried to insulate a portion of the classroom using chairs and tables. Unfortunately, each time the room was used, it was reorganized. After trying a few complex variations and still suffering damage to some artworks, we decided it was time to make a diplomatic statement; a wall that couldn’t be taken down by the university staff because it was an ongoing “art project”.

Blacked out mesh screens and barbed wire X’s demarcated a private space. The furniture was staged to be welcoming but a velvet rope barred the entrance, reserving the section for members only. The usage of velvet and the theme of order and security was inspired from Chen Chieh-jen’s artwork Empire’s Borders I (2008-2009).

This 10 x 25 foot installation was made in a classroom at Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology. Without technically breaking any rules, ‘The Polite Maximum’ allowed the Contemporary Art department to have a dedicated space while silently protesting the institution’s disregard for an artist’s fundamental need for a studio. Within the next few months, the CAP department was officially granted a studio space.

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