While doing researchfor a film, Gayatri Kodikal comes across a group of archaeologists working at the site ofa ruined Portuguese church in Old Goa, India. They tell her about a macabre found: bone debris of a dismembered hand, presumably belonging to the Georgian Queen Ketevan. From that moment on, Kodikal becomes intrigued by this queen, following her trail through 400 years of history. In her search for a way to tell the many narratives that appear to branch out from this starting point, she opts for the form of a game installation, in which you as a visitor playfully walk through the many layers of history behind the found hand. Samira Ben Messaoud (Operator) in conversation with artist Gayatri Kodikal about her work The Traveling Hand.
The Travelling Hand both questions and subverts dominant narratives of history-telling and methods of archeology. It creates a place for clandestine witnesses and stories of divergent researchers, and historical discoveries that have been veiled in secrecy and mystery. The non-linear game play of The Travelling Hand offers a doorway to a new space of thought and association in which one can playfully explore a variety of positions and perspectives, allowing for new threads to emerge in a rich narrative environment.
The exhibition is curated by Katayoun Arian.
Read more about the exhibition here.
Photo: Aad Hoogendoorn
About CBK Rotterdam x TENT x Operator Talks
In a series of informal table discussions, the programme makers of Operator Radio talk toartists and curators about their projects at TENT or in the city. How do makers contribute to the current art climate in Rotterdam? How do the curators arrive at their exhibition concept? What inspires and motivates the artists to their work? Find out through these talks.
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