Slow-Stitched Navigation
I have never been good at directions - short walks that should be second nature to me could turn into hour-long meanders. When I moved from my home in India to the Twin Cities, I embraced the GPS system on my phone wholeheartedly, enjoying the ease with which I was able to navigate the public transit systems and the city at large. I followed the guiding blue line unquestioningly, trusting that I was being fed the most efficient path. Unsurprisingly, my mindless navigation did not assuage the disconnect I felt towards the cityscape I walked in and land I lived on.
In this body of work I lean into slower modes of traversing the city. I focus on building an observational practice for myself - using objects found on the sidewalks as cues to look up and take note of my surroundings. I gradually build out my own mental map by tying the object to the surrounding intersection, the plants in season around me, the smells, the cracks in the sidewalks, my personal memories in that area. This practice led to tactile explorations of how I can connect my body to my movements through a place. While this project began as a response to navigating Minnesota, I was able to continue this mindful observation while in India this past winter. The works in this show thus reflect walks in both Minneapolis as well as Kolkata.
In this body of work I lean into slower modes of traversing the city. I focus on building an observational practice for myself - using objects found on the sidewalks as cues to look up and take note of my surroundings. I gradually build out my own mental map by tying the object to the surrounding intersection, the plants in season around me, the smells, the cracks in the sidewalks, my personal memories in that area. This practice led to tactile explorations of how I can connect my body to my movements through a place. While this project began as a response to navigating Minnesota, I was able to continue this mindful observation while in India this past winter. The works in this show thus reflect walks in both Minneapolis as well as Kolkata.
