When we think of a wall, we think of it as a barrier that separates the inside and the outside. We think of it as something that creates a space—a space that includes us or excludes us. Wall by Shrestha, however, is a metaphorical piece that alludes to the many kinds of barriers that exist in our society, from ethnicty and caste to class and religion.
These are the invisible walls that define us.
Built manually by the artist, the wall consists of nearly 2,000 bricks stacked on top of the other. “I wanted to use the red bricks that we are so familiar with in Kathmandu but I couldn’t get them,” says Shrestha. Nevertheless, the use of the grey unfired compact bricks seem to work well as it stands out against the red brick walls and roof tiles of the surrounding architecture, making the piece more prominent.
Looking at the Wall from far and getting up close to it are different experiences altogether. From a distance, one notices the pattern created by the smooth sides and the rough ridges of the bricks that alternate in layers. However, you will notice from close that these patterns do not follow through the piece, and there are interruptions that your eyes are forced to notice.
Wall is a metaphor to many barriers; but as a work of art, Shrestha has created it in such a way that his viewers can walk around it. Nevertheless, the two blocked-out windows in the Wall give the viewer an uneasy feeling, despite knowing what is on the other side. The void of glass panes in the window frame is intimidating because it is not what we see in our daily lives. When we see a window frame, we expect glass, not bricks.
The window frames themselves are old and worn out with a history of its own. They make us stop and notice their crude quality against the new bricks. The Wall appears to be incomplete as it trails off to its left. Bricks lay on the floor along with an uninstalled wooden door frame. Perhaps the builder could not complete the Wall, or was it prevented from being completed? The artists forces us to make our own interpretations.
Shrestha’s second piece is the Rhythm of Solitude, a video installation set up inside one of the galleries of Yalamaya Kendra. The installation is 25 feet long, 8 feet wide and 9 feet tall. A commentary on the use of technology, media and modernity, the artist has used two projectors to cast the images of flickering flames onto nine layers of muslin, from either ends. The lenses of the projectors have been blocked in such a way that only a small circle of light falls onto the center of the muslin screens.
It takes a while for your eyes to notice that there is a layer of white sheet on the floor which, in fact, is salt. “Salt is a part of us and our bodies,” reminds Shrestha, who uses salt in a lot of his works.
There is no sound in the projection or other sources of light in the room. Hence, all you can hear is your own footsteps in the dark. The feeling of walking in the room is profound as you watch the flames fade out and become stronger when they pass through the layers of muslin. The piece is similar to the Wall outside because the screens create a wall in itself—one that you can walk around as a group but not individually. This exhibit is a must see.
Binod is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. His exhibit, “Rhythm of Solitude”, is at the Yalamaya Kendra till August 15.
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