The City of Joy, Kolkata, witnessed one of the most innovative works in the performance art sphere which generally involves four basic elements: time, space, body, and presence of the artist, and the relation between the creator and the public.
Tala Prattoy, in its 96th year of Durga Puja Celebration, has set the global benchmark with a subliminal and picturesque work of art. The aesthetically designed art installation was conceptualised by visual artist and scenographer Susanta Paul.
The art narrates the core story of every human being’s state of mind during the ongoing pandemic. The 50 feet outer structure reflecting the restrictions that people had in their hearts during the Covid–19 pandemic was pulled down by the club officials and the entire outer artwork signifying the inaccessible existence for the last two years marking the beginning of UNRESTRICTED21, through an ongoing performance slowly unveiled the inner sanctum sanctorum in the presence of select members and crews from the club on the auspicious occasion of Mahalaya, the day which marks the beginning of Durga Pujo.
Visual artist, scenographer and National Award winner Susanta Paul, the man who conceptualised this entire magnum opus, said, “What we witnessed today was no less than a narrative which found expression in the form of an ephemeral and authentic experience for the performers and virtual audience in an event that could not be repeated, captured or purchased.”
“The world has been passing through the sickening suffocation of captivity due to the curse of the pandemic. We tried to capture the pain and emotions that the people were going through by staying indoors. Durga Puja is one of the biggest festival seasons in India and across the world. We should not forget that Covid is not over yet and we should always maintain Covid protocols. This art narrates the story that every one of us has faced during the pandemic. The 1,000 windows are the inner windows of every human being which tells the sublime story that was never expressed,” he said.
Mrityunjay Biswas, CFO, Tala Prattoy and Chiranjib Chatterjee, Assistant Secretary, Tala Prattoy stated, “Tala Prattoy, has been one of the most noteworthy organisers of Durga Puja Festival in Kolkata. With the pandemic wreaking the lives around us and our very existence being questioned and quarantined it demanded an art form which would be etched on the minds of the audience forever.
Over the last 10-15 years Bengalis have not limited their biggest festival to just celebration, it has earned the epithet of being the epicentre of art which demands to be restored for their sheer grandeur and thought-provoking concepts. This year too we will be following the Covid protocols laid down by the Hon’ble High Court and respective State and Central governments besides police administration and spread the message that being UNRESTRICTED does not mean to be careless it is a call to action to remain vigilant as the pandemic is not over yet. We are thankful to artist Susanta Paul who has created this huge structure and through performance art depicted the trials and tribulations humanity has been facing world over.”
The artwork created a flutter on social media UNRESTRICTED21 trending in India. The artwork was showcased at the Times SquareDigital Billboard in New York.
During today’s pulling down of the outer structure saw the harmonious performances by Subhadeep Guha, Subrata Mridha, Sudipta Maity & others curating a moment of epiphany. The live orchestration along with the art underlined the pain and helplessness of mankind during the pandemic yet drawing inspiration from the supreme power to rewind the time clock to the pre-Covid era which strummed harmonically despite the diverseness of Indian myriad cultures.
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