Sashawhyy

A 11 x 6 inch board is mounted on a wall with the words:

“CAN YOU SEE US
WE ARE VALID
GHOSTS NEVER
BE SILENCED”

Underneath is a stand with pages from the essay “The Bomb, Biography and the Indian Middle Class” by Sankaran Krishna. The essay has been redacted with a black marker leaving out a few words. These words are inscribed on the board above.

A portion of Krishna’s essay talks about the struggle of the Indian middle class to establish their identity. It speaks to a deep sense of indifference and invisibility felt by the middle class people and the validation that they seek to fill that hole.

“One of the existential realities of being a middle class Indian is an inescapable desire to escape the rest of India.”

SANKARAN KRISHNA

According to the National Election Studies 2019 nearly 55.5% of India self identifies as middle class. This is further divided into lower middle, middle and upper middle class. A sizeable chunk of the population, the middle class is stuck somewhere between being much better off than a majority of Indians while being constantly aware of the vast disparity between themselves and the upper class.

By choosing to black out different aspects of the essay, the focus was pulled towards four new lines.

“Can you see us”
An innocent question reaching out to seek validation of one’s sense of identity. The middle class constantly battles with a feeling of invisibility. they strive to become a version of their own utopias.

“We are Valid”
A shift in the middle class’s approach from a question about being ‘seen’ to a statement establishing their presence. Sparked by a confusion about their place in society it expresses a frustration of being stuck in the middle. The middle can be a good and a bad place. “We are Valid” explores the more sinister side of it. Without the social responsibility and burden of being defined as upper class, the middle class can be tempted to misuse their power. The statement also hints at the darker aspects of seeking validation.

“Ghosts never
be silenced”
A nebulous class of people, the middle class has the power to influence the society they live in, but their influence is dependant on society choosing to recognize their power. In that way their powers are seen as limited in some sense. However, their refusal to accept their position is the fuel that doesn’t let them fade into silence.

The work focused on using ‘text’ as ‘art’ and was developed during a course with artist Abhishek Hazra. Later it was exhibited under a group show titled EDIT4 at the Center for Experimental Media Arts Gallery for two days.