Amano Iwato
Date: 8th Jun - 31st Jul., 2024
The exhibition is an exploration in the interdependence between human culture and the ecological systems. The figure of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Japanese folklore, symbolizes the ontological interconnection between humanity and nature, paralleled by the Indian deity Surya Dev. The exhibition endeavours to explore these narratives, positioning nature as the primary protagonist, influencing and being influenced by human socio-cultural constructs.
The mythic tale of Amano Iwato recounts Amaterasu's withdrawal into a cave called Ama-no-Iwato, plunging the world into darkness and despair. It is within this context that nature emerges as a central protagonist, its transformative energies entwined with Amaterasu's eventual emergence from the cave, bringing light and life back to the world. A similar Indian narrative involves Surya Dev and Sanjana, who, unable to bear Surya Dev's intense brightness, created a lookalike, Chhaya, to take her place and retreated. When the deception was discovered, Vishwakarma reduced Surya Dev's brightness, reuniting him with Sanjana.
The mythic tale of Amaterasu recalls her withdrawal into a cave, plunging the world into darkness. It is within this context that nature emerges as a central protagonist, with Amaterasu's eventual emergence from the cave, bringing light and life back to the world. Artists in the exhibition depict how human societies have conceptualized and connected with nature across various historical and cultural contexts. In Japan, Kami are often associated with natural phenomena such as mountains, rivers, trees, and the sun. In India, several deities are associated with nature such as the river in the form of Ganga.
E.O. Wilson's conception of Biophilia furnishes invaluable insights into the primal human proclivity towards symbiotic kinship with nature. Contemporary literature, such as Richard Powers' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Overstory," helps one understand the complexities of human-nature relationships in the modern age.
Amano Iwato Draws from the theoretical framework of mytheopia, which examines the role of myth in shaping human perceptions of reality. As scholars such as Joseph Campbell and Mircea Eliade have demonstrated, myths function as symbolic narratives that encode cultural beliefs, values, and experiences, offering profound insights into the human condition.
Artists:
Seema Kohli
Paula Sengupta
Arunkumar H.G.
Shanthamani Muddaiah
Poushali Das
Heeral Trivedi
Ruchika Wasson Singh
Raihan Vadra
Ekta Singha
Pavan Kavitkar
Sarban Chowdhury
Shaji Appukuttam
Sukanya Ayde
Noni Mouse
Curated by Prerna SM Jain
