Epigraphica Indica: Demonstrating the Power of the Written Word

In ‘Epigraphica Indica’, Bengaluru-based artist Pushpamala N demonstrates how the written word exerts its power in everyday life. Two sets of exhibits are part of the show – ‘Atlas of Rare and Lost Alphabets’ and ‘Nara’ (slogans).

“Epigraphy is the study and interpretation of ancient inscriptions on metal or stone. Hence the name of the show Epigraphica Indica. I was always interested in documents, and various aspects of history have been incorporated into my work from the very beginning,” says Pushpamala , who has regularly used 19th-century concepts of ethnography, anthropology, and collection in his previous works.

The ‘Atlas of Rare and Lost Alphabets’ is a collection of one hundred copper sculptures inspired by the artist’s visit to an archaeological museum in Bengaluru. Flowers says that ‘Atlas’, like many of his other works, was inspired by Walter Benjamin arcade project, one of his favorite books. “He saw the present as a ruin and examined it like an archaeologist.”

In ancient India, important documents such as land deeds and official inscriptions were engraved on copper plates and were called copper glass (copper inscriptions). Pushpamala decided to recreate them using the technique of etching and, over three years from 2015 to 18, hand-inscribed the copperplates with various scripts from the Indian sub-continent. He worked with various chemicals to create a patina and as a result, each plate looks as if it had been discovered at a historic site.

“Although the writing and drawing process was exhausting, I enjoyed it because it was very different from my usual rhythm of working with photographs, videos and live performances,” she says.

An exhibition of the solo show ‘Epigraphica Indica’ by artist Pushpamala N. photo credit: special arrangement

While doing research for this project, Pushpamala discovered that there was a worldwide movement dedicated to preserving and documenting the disappearing scripts. “The old forms of Kannada and Tamil were; Tulu – always considered an oral language – was once a written script that became unusable during the colonial period. Assamese also had a script, but now it uses Bengali. At the same time, people are also working on making scripts like Kodava. The Phags-pa alphabet, created by a Chinese monk during the Yuan dynasty, was written from top to bottom. It had the feel of Indian characters, but never really happened and only a few examples from the script survive,” she says.

Pushpamala elaborated that the subcontinent – ​​India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Tibet, Afghanistan – is home to hundreds of scripts. “I suspect there is such diversity elsewhere,” she says, “there is also a political side to this issue because communities that have only spoken language are deprived of identity, prestige and a recorded history of their being. feel deprived. Although their literature may use another script, they feel the need for a specific script of their own.”

Artist Pushpamala N and her solo show ‘Epigraphica Indica’ photo credit: special arrangement

In fact, some exhibitions have different scripts such as the old circular which carried the same message in both the official and regional languages ​​for the benefit of all residents.

The second section of the exhibition, the slogan, is about the ‘hidden transcript’ – texts that emerge in social spaces defined by dominance and oppression. “Hidden transcript is an anthropological term for how people express opposing authority or power through their methods of communication. As an artist, I wanted to highlight recent protests in my own way.”

Pushpamala says she found catchy slogans at a poster-making workshop held in 2020. “I wanted to make them memorable and give them a permanent look. Just as metal was used to record important documents in ancient times, so too are Nara exposition records to the present day. I used the same technique to engrave words and drawings. Protest posters are usually not well designed, while protest poetry and slogans are ephemeral; They tend to forget.”

An exhibition of the solo show ‘Epigraphica Indica’ by artist Pushpamala N. photo credit: special arrangement

The 50 displays in this section look like chalk-and-slate displays but are actually copper plates treated with a patina. His material ranges from sketches and poetry to short, hard words in English, Hindi and other regional languages.

According to Pushpamala, there is a similarity in both the types of work. “both are the same” Tamara Shasnas own way. is a historical record—history is traced by observing and understanding archaeological domains, while Nara’s works are a record of contemporary history, which is ongoing.”

‘Epigraphica Indica’ will be on display till April 16, 2022 at Gallery Sumukha, Bengaluru