Life Cycles
Live Performance by Whyishnave Suthagar

401 Richmond Courtyard
(or in CDCC Gallery – 401 Richmond Building, Suite 122 – in case of rain)
May 28, 2022
1:30 PM EST

Click here to access the Zoom link for the live streaming of this event.

Life Cycles is a live performance that will depict a mother and daughter engaging in the passed tradition of kolam making. A kolam is an ancient form of drawing in the Hindu religion created using rice, sand, flour – something ephemeral – as these drawings are to be washed away after the occasion that they were created for has ended. Kolams often reference mandala imagery; which are spiritual symbols in Hinduism representing the expanding universe. Life Cycles is an interactive performance, where viewers will be able to collaborate with the artists as they engage in the ritual of kolam making. An artist talk will follow the performance.

This performance is presented in part of our current exhibition OF THE SACRED, curated by Noor Alé and Claudia Mattos (AXIS Curatorial).

OF THE SACRED testifies to the survival of personal beliefs, spiritual traditions, and religious practices in the face of colonialism and migrations. In their practices, artists Farah Al Qasimi, Kaya Joan, Bea Parsons, Yelaine Rodriguez, and Whyishnave Suthagar trace cultural inheritances of faith, lineages of intergenerational knowledge, and the syncretism of beliefs that emerge in times of turbulent change and upheaval. Visit this link for more details about the exhibition.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Whyishnave Suthagar is a Tamil-Canadian artist whose meditative installations use black light and light-reactive threads to outline imagery drawn from ancient mythologies, dreams, and memories. As an homage to her dual cultural identity, mandalas often feature in her work—a practice passed down matrilineally across generations, which she learned from her mother while growing up in Canada.

ACCESSIBILITY
This event will have live open audio description by Rebecca Singh (Superior Audio Description Services) which will be audible to all participants in both the zoom event and in person. ASL interpretation and live transcription will be available in the zoom and live stream but will not be available in person. For any questions regarding this or any other access needs that we can help you with please email emily[at]criticaldistance.ca.