Binocular Rivalry: Suri's Transformation from a Colony to a Post-Colony: Exploring National Highway 19, 2020-2021
This project was undertaken during Kochi Muziris Biennale/Student's Biennale
(Arindam Manna in collaboration with Subhadeep Mondal (Resource Person, Doctoral Candidate, CSRD, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and also associated with Society for Research Alternatives, Suri, Birbhum, West Bengal)
The project explores binocular rivalry, a phenomenon where two different images are presented to the viewer’s eyes simultaneously and the viewer perceives a third image that combines the two. This is an attempt to observe how the Grand Trunk Road has created a rivalry between the urban and rural parts of the Birbhum region, thus creating a third image. It is an attempt to understand how the Grand Trunk Road has affected the region while also creating a unique identity of its own. The Grand Trunk Road morphs into National Highway 19 as it traverses the Birbhum region in Bengal, and the town of Suri, where I live. For this project, I have collaborated with Subhadeep Mondal and “SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH Alternatives” Collective. We have together researched the impact of the road, also improved during British colonial rule, further creating the divisions and buffers between the urban and the rural. These have given rise to undefined areas in between that reflect the disorientation thus produced.
Suri as a ‘Zilla Sadar’:From Colony to the Post-Colony PDF : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VRSlfser9rC2xePrvr5-Ii7c2G9YpDse/view
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Pen and ink on Paper 3.8Inch X 5.5Inch
Pen and ink on Paper 3.8Inch X 5.5Inch
Pen and ink on Paper 3.8Inch X 5.5Inch
Pen and ink on Paper 3.8Inch X 5.5Inch
This place is called Purandarpur, from where I took the images. It is situated in between Suri and Bolpur and approximately 8 km from Suri and 28 km from Bolpur Shantiniketan.
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Archival Print on Paper
Ink on paper
Ink on paper
Ink on paper
Ink on paper
These drawings reflect my journey through challenges, blending clarity and chaos. Inspired by Suri's roads, they capture the transition from nature to culture. The photographs from Dhagram village in Birbhum district showcase a unique landscape, 10.8 km from Dubrajpur and 27.9 km Suri.
Pen on paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
Archival Print on Paper
Pen on Paper 2.5 ft X 2 ft
My focus was on images captured while in motion, where looking and immersion shaped the outcome. This interaction between the mind and matter created a unique mapping experience, transforming the landscape into a vibrant image captured at a glance.