Bhopal After 27 years: Let’s Not Forget

Elisabetta Marabotto of Saffronart on Samar Jodha’s installation ‘Bhopal: A Silent Picture’

Samar Jodha, Bhopal: A Silent Picture

Samar Jodha, Bhopal: A Silent Picture
Image credit: http://www.superfuture.com

London: Samar Jodha’s installation, ‘Bhopal: A Silent Picture’, was on display at the Amnesty International office in the British capital until the end of July.

Jodha’s work recalls one of the world’s largest industrial disasters, and calls on viewers not to forget it. It was the night of 2 December, 1984, when 42 tons of fatal methyl isocyanate gas escaped from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The number of people affected by this event at the time and now, is literally unbelievable. 2,259 people lost their lives immediately after the leak, while 558,125 people were exposed to the poison, and 25,000 more people are thought to have died as a result of its longer-term consequences. The widespread radiation and soil and water pollution caused by the leak continue to affect people living in the area, and several children were born with severe physical disabilities following the disaster.

The decision to display Jodha’s installation during the Olympic Games is not a coincidence. In fact Dow Chemical, one of the sponsors of the Games, used to own the Union Carbide Corporation, whose Indian subsidiary was the responsible for the disaster. However, Dow Chemical still declines to accept responsibility for the leak and its consequences.

Amnesty International, which teamed up with Jodha to present this installation in London, is demanding Lord Coe, head of the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, to apologize to the victims of Bhopal and to take back his committee’s defense of Dow Chemical.

Samar Jodha, Bhopal: A Silent Picture

Samar Jodha, Bhopal: A Silent Picture
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amnestyuk/7610005182/

The installation comprises a seven ton black shipping container, 40 feet long and 10 feet high, which displays a row of sepia-toned 3D pictures from the chemical plant. The outside of the container is covered with inscriptions of the chemical compound for methyl isocyanate, CH3NCO, and 200C which is the temperature of the gas at the moment of its emission.

Facing the row of pictures, are 18 mannequins pressing their noses and foreheads on a piece of black fabric. The mannequins bear names and reference numbers of the people who lost their lives in the factory on the contours of their forms. According to the artist, the “…names make the loss real. Names are very important, people relate to names.”

The installation soundscape enhances the atmosphere of the work. It reproduces the sounds of that night, “…silence pierced by the sound of crickets and the humming chemical plant alternating with the hiss of the deadly gas leaking. What follows is the breathlessness of the very first victim of the disaster, followed by silence – of death, indifference and political-corporate callousness.”

Jodha managed to enter the plant few times to fully understand the situation and document it for his work. The sight of the abandoned factory, as seen in the images he was able to take there, was extremely shocking.

Jodha’s work, starting from this specific event, aims to make people reflect on broader issues concerning the unfair world we live in. He says “In my view Bhopal is a conflict issue. It’s something I have been focusing on for over 15 years, it’s about this so-called modernity, consumption models, urbanization and how the traditional way of life is marginalized.”

The installation was exhibited throughout India in 2011, where it was received well by critics and the public. In Mumbai 95,000 people entered the installation in a week, making it the most visited public art project in India. Watch a video of ‘Bhopal: A Silent Picture’ in Mumbai.

Following its display in London, the installation will be exhibited in various European cities over the next two years. Jodha wants to exhibit the work where people wouldn’t know about this issue and will reflect about what happened. He wants to bring awareness and reflection. The artist’s ultimate goal, however, is to install the work in Bhopal as a memorial to the victims.

More information about the installation

Damien Hirst on Burger King’s Menu

Elisabetta Marabotto of Saffronart on Burger King’s latest marketing attraction in London

Damien Hirst, Flame Grilled

Flame Grilled: Damien Hirst work is on show at Burger King in Leicester Square.
Image Credit: http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1139836

London: TheLeicester Square “Flameship” branch of Burger King announced recently that it will display a work by Damien Hirst until the end of the year. Titled ‘Beautiful Psychedelic Gherkin Exploding Tomato Sauce All Over Your Face, Flame Grilled Painting, 2003’, it is part of the artist’s well know series of ‘spin paintings’. The second part of the title perfectly fits with Burger King’s style since the company often highlights their flame-grilled items in many of their ads.

The painting has been installed in the upper floor of the fast-food franchise, and will be protected by reinforced glass to avoid splashes of ketchup and stains from chips.

The decision to hang this painting by Damien Hirst was taken, predicting the advent of hordes of tourists that would visit Burger King given that the Olympic Games are being held in London this summer. The company also thought it would be a good marketing move, attracting more people to its outlets, especially since one of its competitors, McDonalds, is sponsoring the Olympic Games.

Django Fung, the Leicester Square franchisee, commented on the issue, saying, “I love the novelty of Damien’s artwork being in such an unexpected place. Art should be accessible to everyone, especially in such a busy summer, and putting this painting in our new look Burger King restaurant in such a high-profile location does just that.” Fung, according to the company, is also a personal friend of Hirst’s.

The artist has already donated an artwork to another restaurant in London, Tramshed. This time the donation, titled ‘Cock and Bull’, consisted of a Hereford cow and cockerel preserved in a steel glass tank of formaldehyde.

While, the Tramshed Hirst may either inspire or discourage its customers to eat at the restaurant (it would definitely discourage me), at least Burger King chose a more subtle work, not as provocative but still showcasing Hirst’s characteristic style.

Damien Hirst, Cock and Bull

Damien Hirst, Cock and Bull
Image credit: http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk

 

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