Sajan Mani
Dear museum, we are standing in front of your doorsteps to listen to our ancestors
02. November—22. Dezember 2023
Museums in Germany, such as the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, University of Tübingen or the State Library in Dresden, house vast collections from colonial contexts. Among these are photographs that chronicle the lived experiences of marginalized Dalit and indigenous communities in Kerala, anthropological photographs with colonial racist gaze regimes as well as postcards, letters and palm leaf manuscripts in Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala and which carries a complex historical connection to Germany. The German missionary and linguist Hermann Gundert (Hermann Hesse’s grandfather) standardised Malayalam and published several books in Malayalam at the end of the 19th century, including the first dictionary. Conversion to Christianity enabled Dalits, who were strictly forbidden to read and write, to leave repressive social caste hierarchies and economic marginalisation. Nevertheless, also Gundert’s work took place in a colonial context. Engaging with these photographs, materials, and historical narratives, Sajan Mani unfreezes time, reinstating the inherent dignity of the individuals portrayed, and anchoring ancestral memories and remnants at the core of his creative process.
He subverts the oppressive structures of colonial racist perspectives (How far are you?, Serigraphs and acrylic on canvas), reimagines the narratives of the subjects by translating their stories, discovered in the archive’s photographs, onto the pages of Missionary reports and Malayalam dictionaries, as well as the illustrations within the publications issued by the Missionaries (Series – Transmigratory whispers, Oil pastels on inkjet printed Papers) and transmutes these visual representations onto natural raw rubber sheets, a medium that bears a profound connection to his family’s legacy of labor (Gazing lands, Acrylic and Serigraphs on natural rubber sheet). Hailing from a family of rubber tappers in a northern Keralan village, Sajan Mani’s artistic journey is profoundly intertwined with the significance of rubber. This material not only plays a central role in his creative work but also holds a complex historical connection to extractive colonialism. The knowledge of rubber production was plundered from indigenous communities in South America during this period. In Mesoamerican cultures, the indigenous sap held a mysterious and sacred significance, woven into spiritual practices. Today, it finds a sensorial resonance in the realm of Sajan Mani’s memory, carrying layers of history, tradition, and cultural significance that enrich his artistic expression. The exhibition “Dear museum, We are standing in front of your doorsteps to listen to our ancestors” is part of Sajan Manis long-time reseach project “Wake up calls for my Ancestors“. In its inaugural phase, Mani has extended invitations to three accomplished artists and three esteemed scholars. Their collective purpose is to undertake a critical examination of Eurocentric archiving practices and contemplate the significance of the collection of South Indian photographs within the Ethnological Museum in Berlin (video installation). The initiative aims to redefine the narratives and representations of these marginalized voices, challenging traditional power structures within western archives.
About the artist Sajan Mani has participated in international biennales, festivals, exhibitions and residencies, including The INHABIT, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (2022), Galerie Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University (2021-22) and Lokame Tharavadu by Kochi Biennale Foundation, (2021). In 2022, he was awarded the Prince Claus Mentorship Award and Breakthrough Artist of The Year by the Hello India Art Awards. Between 2019 – 2022 he received an artistic research grant from the Berlin Senate, Fine Arts Scholarship from Braunschweig Projects, and the Akademie Schloss Solitude Fellowship, Germany.
Additional events / program:
MARKK in Motion / Artist Talk:
Sajan Mani, Dear Museum, We are standing in front of your doorsteps to listen to our ancestors
Thursday, November 23, 7:00 PM
Museum am Rothenbaum. Kulturen und Künste der Welt MORE INFOS
Kampnagel Hamburg / Workshop:
Sajan Mani, Political Yoga
approx. 120 minutes (40 minutes of yoga, break, and discussion)
Friday, November 24, 6:00 PM Kampnagel Hamburg MORE INFOS
The exhibition takes place as part of India Week Hamburg 2023.
Additional events / program:
MARKK in Motion / Artist Talk:
Sajan Mani, Dear Museum, We are standing in front of your doorsteps to listen to our ancestors
Thursday, November 23, 7:00 PM
Museum am Rothenbaum. Kulturen und Künste der Welt
Kampnagel Hamburg / Workshop:
Sajan Mani, Political Yoga
approx. 120 minutes (40 minutes of yoga, break, and discussion)
Friday, November 24, 6:00 PM Kampnagel Hamburg
The exhibition takes place as part of India Week Hamburg 2023.
Öffnungszeiten: Thursday and Friday: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Saturday: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
They are also open by appointment
Photo © Sajan Mani / Shrine Empire Gallery
