Untitled: Oliver Hoelzl

Austria-based Olivier Hoelzl is a multi-media artist who uses stencil as a medium to address the intricacies of the context he works in. His work here uses the site as a space to converge cultural narratives by splitting the room into two halves, addressing the complex historical junctures that made the city of Mumbai what it is today. He explains, “What I am really trying to do is to create a sense of ambivalence in the room.”

The artist places his recreation of a photograph of Koli women worshipping the sea in the middle of the room, while what surrounds it are narratives that question the validity of urbanisation and colonialism. These narratives, put together, are not only here to directly present the viewers with answers but also to delve further into a deeper understanding of lost traditions and historical records.