Sometimes, I need to ruminate on an experience, rather than impulsively share it on social media. Sometimes, it takes time to find the right words to write. This is true of the public art portion of project #tarpaulintapestries w/ @i_was_a_sari @artoxygen @realityindia in #dharavi in #mumbai š„This was by far the most challenging installation of my life to date. We faced adversity right from the jump off.š„My oversized luggage (carrying the tarps, prints, and materials) was lost for days. At first workshop, by mid morning I became sick from food poisoning leaving after a half day in a queasy delirium. The longest rickshaw and cabbie ride back to the hotel ensued, baking in the sun, clenching my stomach, sweating to the seat, and praying to the universe. š¤¢š¤®š· This set us behind schedule for the entire project, which we had to complete in 10 days!! Yet, we made the deadlines in spite of the setbacks! With smiles (in between the grimaces). š¬š The highlight of this entire project, besides the collaboration with the artisans, was expected to be the installation of the tarps onto the roofs of the industrial district on Dharavi, visible from the Mahim footbridge. That day, we had two community fixers installing the work according to the specs directed to them by the team. It was bright under the late afternoon sun and the rooftops were covered with treacherous wires and bore questionable infrastructure. To communicate, we were translating through multiple languages and devices. The glue wasnāt totally set and some of the prints started to come loose, then dried printed sari pieces started to lift off, threatening to flutter away. We found pins and fixed this issue. Then, the approved location had logistical problems, and we couldnāt go forward with the intended installation. The impact of wrapping the cluster of roofs was lost, as we had to place the tarps in another formation. The result was a truncated vision of the dream. However, I am very grateful to all of the hard work from the team and the dedication to the project throughout the myriad of challenges. I am happy to announce another version will grace Mumbai, with the full impact intact. š šø @jaruskr (at Dharavi, Maharashtra, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWaMizhf-O/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=e1jg8dj48si1
