The yellowing white wall of a 200-year-old Parsi home in Mau, Madhya Pradesh, has become a photo archive of the dead. It's lined with photographs of people who once lived there-women in white saris with Parsi gara borders and men in kurta-pajama, and shirt and suit. The photographer, Divya Cowasji, also makes an appearance in an image, posing in a sarimaking her the only living person in the photo series titled Remember Me.
Cowasji's project was part of Chemould CoLab's October 2022 group photo exhibition Hearts On Fire-Reflections On Parsi Photography: Past, Present And Future in Mumbai. Curated by Sarcia Robyn Balsari, the exhibition showcased the life of the Parsi community in India. It got the art world discussing the practice of turning the lens to one self, of the impact these works have on the viewers and the reasons behind its new-found popularity, especially after covid-19, amongst young photographers.
In Remember Me, Cowasji looks at her family history through the objects that her ancestors left behind. She contemplates existentialism, while also thinking of her death and the anxiety about the next inheritor of the family heirloom. Cowasji's photo series started in 2018 when she lost many loved ones, and came to inherit their objects-saris, books, frames, and even her actor-grandmother's hair rollers.
By turning the camera on themselves, photographers like Cowasji create personal archives of their families, their community, their environment and their bodies. These projects are outcomes of personal crises, overwhelming emotions or the sociocultural and political environment around them. During the covid-19 lockdowns, when photographers went back home from the places they worked in or when they were trapped indoors, they were, in a way, compelled to look within.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Air fares in Sep quarter rise, Q3 may be worse
Multiple public holidays have sparked demand for short trips to domestic destinations, said Indiver Rastogi, president & group head of global business travel at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. This year, Independence Day, Janmashtami, Onam, Eid and Ganesh Chat-
Yes, the world is hotter than it has been in 2,000 years or so
A scientific study of tree rings confirms global warming is for real
As a non-resident, is there a tax liability on exiting Indian MFs?
I have been investing in mutual funds for the past four years. Last year, I moved to Dubai and am currently a non-resident Indian NRD). Say, if] exit all my mutual fund investments now, would I have zero tax liability? —Name withheld on request.
Mergers off but PSB privatization still on
T 'he Centre doesn't have any plan to merge public sector banks (PSBS) in FY25, though it will not ditch plans to privatize PSBs during the fiscal, two people aware of the matter said.
Think Tesla Is In Trouble? Pity Even More Its Wannabe EV Rivals
The combined market value of six prominent wannabes hit 400bn in 2021, but today they are worth 65bn
Has The Growth Of Our Economy Translated Into Domestic Jobs?
While the covid shock and other setbacks got in the way, data indicates that employment in India is on a firm recovery path
Financial Sector Reforms Plan To Be Unveiled Post Elections
The govt will cut its stake in five PSBs this fiscal to comply with Sebi’s listing guidelines
Generative AI Is Not Ubiquitous In The Business World-Not Yet
While some AI tools racked up users, some firms are proceeding with caution, or not at all
Wipro’s CEO switch was not about its share price
Shareholder value data does not explain the firm's change on top. In a flux-filled field like infotech, business performance counts for more and Wipro's challenge still seems quite steep
How not to blow a major chunk of your travel budget on visas
Rejection of visas can impact your travel costs, especially when you have to cancel flight and hotel bookings