Hema committee report inspires an art exhibition

Oru Chayakkada scene by Anjana Dev, You can’t act what you can’t see, one of the exhibits in the art exhibition

Any mention of a government committee report is bound to evoke dry, uninspiring images, far removed from the art world. But then, K. The Hema Committee report is like no other report because of its far-reaching impact on the world of cinema and the conversations it sparked across other sectors. Now, a group of artists working across different mediums have come together to create artworks based on the report and the representation of women in Malayalam cinema.

The exhibition titled ‘You can’t act on what you can’t see’ is the inaugural exhibition of Neighbor Gallery, launched by artists Valentina Abenavoli and Joe Paul Cyriac in the capital’s Kesavadasapuram. A printed copy of the Hema Committee report, with red tape tied around it indicating the delay in publishing the report, is an exhibit in itself, along with a copy handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) There is also the letter which led to the formation of the committee.

Justice Hema Committee Report in the form of an art exhibition.

One of the standout exhibits is Anjana Dev’s Oru Chayakkada scene, at the center of which is a large picture of a group of women happily drinking tea in a local Chayakkada. Surrounding it are about a hundred screenshots of tea shop scenes from Malayalam films over the years, all of which feature only men, highlighting that public spaces are often off limits to women.

Rosie’s Wall, established by Neighbor Collective, is an effort to protest the narrative imposed on PK Rosie, Malayalam cinema’s first actress. The installation is a repeated reproduction of the only surviving photograph of Rosie, which is similar to Pop artist Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe diptych. Installation, with Meera KM’s sketchbook an artist’s studyLooks at Rosie’s little-known history as the first woman to act in theatre. It includes haunting visuals from Alina’s sound installation We Are Watching You which tells a larger story of violence and voyeurism faced by women.

Rosies Wall by Neighbor Collective

Sreeja Pallam’s series of images, titled Women at Workplaces, portrays women in various workplaces that are traditionally imagined to fall under the male domain. As part of her ongoing research work at the WCC, Miriam Chandy Menachery has documented rare photographs of women working in various departments of cinema, including cinematographer Fauzia Fatima, film editor Beena Paul and filmmaker and academic Asha Aichi. Joseph is included.

This exhibition will run till February 8 at Neighbor Gallery.