Link to Official home page to La Biennale di Venezia ARTE 2024
Artist Statement for La Biennale di Venezia ART2024.
Alakananda Mukerji
Xenia
My Art is celebration of the life and Life’s gifts and rejections to me – a collaboration between everyone else and me. A reformation of my experience from life – good and bad. I dream my art works and then try to create my dream. I go deep into subconscious and find childhood tales that I have grown up with, then add my whole life experience to that. My sister who was my best friend and companion never kept any connections with me since I found a different meaning of my life. Which is more abstract, taking challenges, not being perfect, making mistakes. People started asking me ‘no ’where are you from in India and in the USA both. I am a foreigner in both of my world. I also realized – I am a people person. Would like to be recognized by others around me, my family and friends. I found myself happy around water, nature, and animals. There is a story of an artist – where I gradually seeking for privacy within myself. I don’t want to explain my art too much – but again this passion for privacy comes from my semi-urban family in Varanasi. With a vision of self be in self yet carrying a desire to play an active role in Activism, Social Justice, equal rights and world peace. To make the world a living wall that I can bring to my canvas. Thus, my art is taking a direction to somewhere in the journey in the mid-point but not yet matured enough to find the solutions completely. Every day is the new beginning, and every beginning has the end-I am not there yet, but close. There is always hope of a new morning. After being in Varanasi – where for centuries all communities have shared the space, shared festivities, influenced by history, different faiths and culture, a very rich society of Hindu’s, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsis or Parsees. A peaceful coexistence of a rich family-oriented society.
When I got to Greece first to study then US the windows to another world opened for me. I barely settled in, when I found myself in vastness of society of always on the run, aloft, alone most of the time, to visit someone had to make an appointment, cannot pop up in someone’s house whether they are friends or family even parents. It never happened before. The shift of culture took time to adjust along with 24/7 work habit. No time to think I realized. Made a calendar for time for my own self. I was then fighting for female power, social justice, racism, migration and still I am fighting but this time is more for others for the society to make a better place, for piece, for hope. My training took place with a group of contemporary artists, teachers, friends. So, my journey as an artist started very early with my parents. My mother became my soul friend at this time. So many memories come back, so many that made my life special are no more with me. What a joy to be able to have this art exhibition in 2024 Biennale’s ‘Personal Structure’. Where I can express myself freely without any restrictions. Ultimately, I am the creator of my own world – Art, afraid but honest. The shiny things around us that we see every day, are they all nice probably no – but that one object or image that I liked was enough to start dream within. The waves of the sea and the water of the river flows, the waves never stopped-kept on trying and one day it is able to take the shore away, the huts, the fish, the conch that was waiting for years. I feel like I am one of those waves – let me try every day to come to the shore – let me feel the pain of loss, anger, happy and sad. Let me hear the sound of waves and feel like I am holding the world – the world is quiet, nice to each other, wars ended, migration happened, hope went on the peak of the mountains, everyone has food, shelter, relaxing, the birds are chippering with happiness and wildebeest are forming their lines for great migration. Lions are happy with their pride and giraffes are gracing gracefully on the horizon.
Detail & Direction to the show location at Palazzo Mora
Available for Viewing (April – Nov 2024)
Palazzo Mora is dedicated to the exhibitions “Personal Structures” and “Time-Space-Existence”. European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Mora, Strada Nuova #3659, .
From European Cultural Centre (ECC) – Palazzo Mora
“The European Cultural Centre aims to heighten
the awareness about the more philosophical themes in contemporary art and architecture.”