“DEEP DOWN, WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR VALIDATION”

Artist Indu Harikumar, whose work is based on difficult conversations that centre around being comfortable with yourself, shares her creative pursuits with Shraddha Kamdar

- Shraddha Kamdar

Four years ago, when artist Indu Harikumar used Tinder in Vienna for the first time, little did she know it would be the experience that would shape a major part of her future life. “I was there for an art residency, and I had never used an app to meet people. My Russian flatmate suggested the idea,” says the Mumbai-based artist.

Even if a bit hesitant, she experimented. “I had those little worries. If something goes wrong, whom do I call? Not speaking the language was a big drawback. I wasn’t even sure if I matched with someone, will I have to say yes to sex? But I downloaded the app anyway and started to swipe,” she says. At a time when most people wanted to meet at bars, she was asked by a date on a walk. “He asked me what it was that I wanted to see in Vienna. And I am a huge fan of artist Gustav Klimt, so I told the guy I wanted to see Klimt,” she says, and his reply, “Did you know he lived in our neighbourhood?” sealed the deal for her. So on an overcast and lazy Sunday afternoon, she ended up walking and talking with him, for over six hours, touching upon their lives, growing up, and past relationships. The walk brought the realisation that one can have a connection with someone from a completely different culture in a land so far away.