School of Culture and Creative Expressions
MA Visual Art
Online Degree show
2020

un-
dure

An assemblage of fractured experiences from the uncertain times.

Over the past few months, unforeseen circumstances and events have played out on a global scale in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. This, of course meant a complete derailing of our ongoing preparations for the degree show, which would mark the culmination of our two-year-long journey through the Masters programme. Since then, we have been witnessing in close proximity the disruption of everyday movement and flow of life, the emergence of distancing and isolation as the new normative modes of being, the reconfiguration of the sensorial relationships between and within bodies, and the systemic inequality, disenfranchisement, and apathy within society that this pandemic only seems to intensify at an unprecedented scale. 

These new and unsettling experiences have forced us to reckon with our individual and collective art practices they have driven us to rethink our ideas, materials, techniques, audiences, and our languages.

The neologism ‘un-dure’ that we collectively coined stems from the idea that resilience may be formed through repeated exposure to ruptures, about connections that are made possible due to fractured experiences, and about an enduring that can happen in a time that is characterised by uncertainty.

‘Un-dure’ is an attempt at weaving a creative rejoinder to these thoughts and emotions through an exploration of the material potential that the internet and the digital medium has to offer. 

Multiple threads are interlaced within the fabric of this website. Our recent works and past projects are extended across multiple pages. ‘The Letters Project’ is a collaborative attempt at not only engaging with each other’s works but also at exploring the boundless creative possibilities offered by a new form. A map that we have chalked out for the visitor, can be viewed collectively on the ‘letters’ page.

We are also hosting live performances and webinars which can be found on our Facebook page.

Acknowledgements :

We would like to express our immense gratitude to our mentors Santhosh S. and Shefalee Jain for their effort and guidance. They have ceaselessly supported us throughout our time at the university. Vidya Shivadas who was a visiting faculty member played a crucial role in helping us process our thoughts and ideas regarding exhibition making, and in developing ‘The Letters Project’. 

The gap between a physical and virtual exhibition could not have been bridged without the help of faculty member, Kaushal Sapre. For providing technical guidance and agreeing to help us at such short notice, we would heartily like to thank Ebaad Ansari. Their constant availability at all times on different online portals has been integral to the building up of the website, right from the scratch.

We would also like to thank Sabih Ahmed, Abhinandita Mathur, Sandip Luis and Karthik KG amongst other faculty members, and Rangoato ‘Ra’ Hlasane, Bhagwati Prasad, Peter Rosel and Susanta Mandal for their help and guidance. 

Last but not least, we thank all the faculty members of SCCE, and the administrative and non-teaching staff of Ambedkar University Delhi.