简介：PushpamalaN.isaninnovativeartistwhofrequentlyincorporatespopularcultureintoherintriguingbodyofphotographicworks.Intheprocess,sheadoptsdifferentpersonas,playsironicrolesandemployshistoricfiguresasvehiclestoexaminecriticalissuesoflocation,historyandgender.Thecrypticandcomicaspectofheroeuvretendstocarryasharpedge,andthisisespeciallyevidentinherphoto-basedinstallationsandprojections. Inherexplorationsoftheterrainofcontemporaryurbanlife,theartistexposesculturalandgenderstereotyping.Anewexperimentalfilm-basedprojectbyheriscurrentlyshowcasedasacinematicinstallationatMumbai’sChemouldPrescottRoadgallery.‘ParisAutumn’isaworkoffictioninvolvingashortfilm,andblackandwhitestillphotographsfromit,inthestyleofagothicthriller,whichtellsthestoryofPushpamala’sstayinParisintheautumnof2005. Explaininghowtheprojecthascomeabout,anaccompanyingnoteelaborates:“WhilesherentsaroominoneoftheoldeststreetsintheMarais,strangehappeningsbegintooccur.ItwasthensherealizessheislivingintheouthousesofthemansionthathadoncebelongedtoGabrielled'Estrées,KingHenriIV'sfavorite,whodied,poisonednodoubt,attheageof26justasshewasabouttomarrytheking.Fromthatmomenton,shehadtofindoutaboutthiswomanwhohadcometosuchatragicend.” Theartist'squestin‘ParisAutumn’startsattheLouvre,justopposite‘TheFortuneTeller’byCaravaggio.ItcontinuesthroughtheChapelledesPetits-Augustine’skitschatmosphere,andcarriesonatvariouspointsthroughParis.Notamovingpictureinthetraditionalsense,thisisratherarapid-firesuccessionofstillphotoscarefullyarrangedintoasequentialnarrative.Everythinginthefilmisuncertain.Theplotwanders,thoughitisnotnecessarilypurefantasy,verymuchinkeepingwithherartpracticethatneverquiteresolvesthemysteriesposed. Blendingautobiographicalnoteswithsurrealaestheticsanddramatics,herworkssuperimposelayersoffemininity,humor,andguise.Evenwhiletransgressingthelimitationsofmimeticfiguralrepresentation,PushpamalaN.hasfaithfullystucktothenarrationofthefemaleform.Herworkessentiallyengagestheoriesofpostcolonialidentitycoupledwithafeministhistoricalgaze.Applaudingit,NewYorkTimesartcriticHollandCotternoted,“Iftheresultsarealittledisheveled,theyalsomarkanotherpromisingstepinanextremelyinterestingcareer.” ‘ParisAutumn’premieredatGalerieZurcherinParisasinstallationalongwithfilmandphotographsin2006,andreceivedravereviewsinLeMondeandotherleadingFrenchnewspapersandmagazines.ItwaslaterdevelopedasacinematicinstallationintheformofamovietheatreenvironmentforBosePacia,NewYork,andGalleryNatureMorte,NewDelhi.ThefilmhasalsobeenshownintheVideoetApresProgrammeoftheCentrePompidou,Paris,the4thSguardiInternationalWomen'sFilmFestival,Milan,theBangaloreInternationalFilmFestival,andinnumerousotherscreeningsinIndiaandabroad. Thecuratorialessaysumsupinstatingthat“Pushpamalaseemstoreadtheworldlikea‘complexandstratified,openandenigmatic’literaryworkthatshemakesupassheweavesherwaythroughamysteriousurbanterritorywhere,rightdowntotheflowoftheimages,wefindthe‘halting’natureoftheCityofParisaccordingtoBenjamin,likeasuccessionofpaintingsputtogetherwithdeftbrushstrokes.”…