The second edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale drew to a close on March 29, but the buzz about it has only grown since then. That's because social-media users have been enthusiastically forwarding a video of American artist Waswo X Waswo destroying his own work.
Waswo decided to smash his creations to bring attention to the exorbitant rates he was being charged by labour unions for moving the artwork – Rs 10,000 for taking six boxes a distance of mere 10 feet, he claimed. On April 1, he uploaded a video to YouTube titled "Destroying Art in Protest".
"This video shows the early morning destruction of a part of our installation," Waswo said. "Thankfully it started a process of negotiation and an eventual agreement on more equitable terms."
In the video, his anger is palpable. His art, Waswo said, has never been a form of protest. “I like to think my art addresses deeper cultural issues," he said.
But in the video, as he he is seen picking up terracotta artefacts and throwing them on the ground with great intensity, he says, "This is a testament to the unions in Kerala, and what they do to business; and how they destroy business in the state."
However, Waswo declined to name the unions that he was protesting against. “There is a lot of finger-pointing now and people are claiming we were dealing with the wrong union," he said. "But the union was the local neighbourhood one. Another union tried to muscle in, but they just wanted the same amount of money."
He added, "I see no point in giving union names. To me the problem is widespread, and for us the issue was resolved. I don't want to make more trouble.”
Waswo wasn’t the only one faced by high labour costs. His friend Subodh Kerkar also had the deal with this. “Subodh Kerkar, was grossly overcharged in both unloading and loading," the American artist said. "He paid Rs 60,000 to load two trucks. This is why I felt I had to fight. I couldn't afford such rates. Everything in our show came out of my own pocket: framing, carpentry, lights, boxing, shipping, everything. I just could not accept paying a union Rs 10,000 to move six boxes only ten feet into a loading tempo. A lot of people in India work a full month for that kind of money. It outraged me."
A moment of hesitation
Waswo's work was part of an exhibition called Sleeping Through the Museum, an official collateral event at the biennale. It was a collaboration with Rajesh Soni, Subrat Behera, and Shyam Lal Khumar that aimed to "raise a wide set of questions that invite us to rethink the function and purpose of the museum", said the event website.
The artist admitted that he grappled with a moment of hesitation when it came time to actually breaking the creations. “Shyam Lal had made terracotta artefacts for our museum, and it was in fact some of those that I destroyed in Kochi as protest”, said Waswo. “Breaking Shyam Lal's pieces were very hard for me. I hesitated right up to the last minute. But I will pay him to replace them. He is a village potter. He takes things in stride.”
Despite this, Waswo said that he greatly enjoyed the event. He said that it was “fabulous” and that the organisers did a great job. But they were not very involved with the collateral events, he said. “These were events approved by the Bienalle, but not officially a part of it," he said. "Our show was on the Bienalle map. Yet now some of the organisers are distancing themselves from our show and claiming they themselves had no union problems. It's just politics of necessity I think.”
Kerala chief Minister Oommen Chandy, on his part, has directed the Kochi Police Commissioner KG James to file a report on the incident.
As the dust settles, Waswo said he was glad that his protest had received significant attention. "I am not a professional activist," he said. "But I am happy it got a discussion going on a national level. I never thought that would happen.”
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Waswo decided to smash his creations to bring attention to the exorbitant rates he was being charged by labour unions for moving the artwork – Rs 10,000 for taking six boxes a distance of mere 10 feet, he claimed. On April 1, he uploaded a video to YouTube titled "Destroying Art in Protest".
"This video shows the early morning destruction of a part of our installation," Waswo said. "Thankfully it started a process of negotiation and an eventual agreement on more equitable terms."
In the video, his anger is palpable. His art, Waswo said, has never been a form of protest. “I like to think my art addresses deeper cultural issues," he said.
But in the video, as he he is seen picking up terracotta artefacts and throwing them on the ground with great intensity, he says, "This is a testament to the unions in Kerala, and what they do to business; and how they destroy business in the state."
However, Waswo declined to name the unions that he was protesting against. “There is a lot of finger-pointing now and people are claiming we were dealing with the wrong union," he said. "But the union was the local neighbourhood one. Another union tried to muscle in, but they just wanted the same amount of money."
He added, "I see no point in giving union names. To me the problem is widespread, and for us the issue was resolved. I don't want to make more trouble.”
Waswo wasn’t the only one faced by high labour costs. His friend Subodh Kerkar also had the deal with this. “Subodh Kerkar, was grossly overcharged in both unloading and loading," the American artist said. "He paid Rs 60,000 to load two trucks. This is why I felt I had to fight. I couldn't afford such rates. Everything in our show came out of my own pocket: framing, carpentry, lights, boxing, shipping, everything. I just could not accept paying a union Rs 10,000 to move six boxes only ten feet into a loading tempo. A lot of people in India work a full month for that kind of money. It outraged me."
A moment of hesitation
Waswo's work was part of an exhibition called Sleeping Through the Museum, an official collateral event at the biennale. It was a collaboration with Rajesh Soni, Subrat Behera, and Shyam Lal Khumar that aimed to "raise a wide set of questions that invite us to rethink the function and purpose of the museum", said the event website.
The artist admitted that he grappled with a moment of hesitation when it came time to actually breaking the creations. “Shyam Lal had made terracotta artefacts for our museum, and it was in fact some of those that I destroyed in Kochi as protest”, said Waswo. “Breaking Shyam Lal's pieces were very hard for me. I hesitated right up to the last minute. But I will pay him to replace them. He is a village potter. He takes things in stride.”
Despite this, Waswo said that he greatly enjoyed the event. He said that it was “fabulous” and that the organisers did a great job. But they were not very involved with the collateral events, he said. “These were events approved by the Bienalle, but not officially a part of it," he said. "Our show was on the Bienalle map. Yet now some of the organisers are distancing themselves from our show and claiming they themselves had no union problems. It's just politics of necessity I think.”
Kerala chief Minister Oommen Chandy, on his part, has directed the Kochi Police Commissioner KG James to file a report on the incident.
As the dust settles, Waswo said he was glad that his protest had received significant attention. "I am not a professional activist," he said. "But I am happy it got a discussion going on a national level. I never thought that would happen.”