SAKHI RI A multimedia performance

Photo: Video extract “THE CITY” Sakhi Ri

An electro-acoustic, multimedia performance Crossing genders through songs, poetry, Experimental electronic compositions, Hindustani classical vocals, Video art and performance. A project exploring gender de/construction with members of the hijras community, A traditional transsexual community of India, and gender variant individuals.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SYNOPSIS

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SYNOPSIS

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SAKHI RI GENERAL PRESENTATION

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PROJECT OUTLINE PRESENTATION OF THE ARTISTS

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SAKHI RI VARIOUS PROPOSALS:

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I. LIVE PERFORMANCE

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1.MULTI-MEDIA LIVE PERFORMANCE (Live electronics, bass guitar, Hindustani vocals, video art) And /or 2. INTERACTIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL LIVE MIX II. INSTALLATIONS/ INSTALLATIONS PERFORMANCE: 1. MULTI-MEDIA INSTALLATIONS OF SAKHI RI (7 sound and video pieces)

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And /or 2. MULTI-MEDIA INSTALLATION OF NEW SOUND AND VIDEO PIECES III. PRODUCTION/ RESIDENCY:

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1. PRODUCTION OF A MUSIC ELECTRO-INDIAN CD ALBUM (DrFloy and Sumathi)

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2. AUDIO AND VIDEO PIECES

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BAHUCHARA MATTA SPACES OF HIJRA LIFE IV. INTERCULTURAL PROJECT

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SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI BACKGROUND AND ARTISTIC ORIENTATION CREATIVE PROCESS BACKGROUND ARTISTIC ORIENTATION FUTURE ORIENTATION

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SAKHI RI PREVISIONAL BUDGET 2005

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SAKHI RI TECHNICAL LIST (SOUND AND VIDEO)

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SAKHI RI PRESS

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SAKHI RI ANNEXES

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BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTISTS DrFLOY TEJAL SHAH SUMATHI

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WORKSHOPS DESCRIPTION

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EXTRACTS OF THE WOKSHOPS

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PRECISIONS ABOUT THE HIJRA COMMUNITY

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1. transgender communities’ history 2. Hijras and Kothis: the Indian context a. The hijra culture b. The Kothi culture 3. Marginalisation of kothis and hijras: the intersection of class, gender and sexuality

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. SAKHI RI CREDITS

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SAKHI RI PARTNERS AND NATURE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION

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SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI PRESENTATION

“SAKHI RI: A Multimedia Performance Project”

PROJECT OUTLINE:

Sakhi RI - Process Based Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Work in Process/Progress This project, initiated by DrFloy (Electro-acoustic sound artist and bass guitarist, France) in collaboration with Sumathi Murthy (Hindustani classical vocalist, India) and Tejal Shah (Visual media and installation artist, India) , is built as a project in progress, exploring autobiographical assimilations, subjective experiences, social conditions, cultural constructions of gender, human rights of hijras, transgenders and sexual minorities, making space for our multiple voices; exploring pain, joy, love and celebrating such lives through poetry, video art, performance and experimental electronic compositions; now on-going for a year and a half. In November 2003, the collaborating artists DrFloy, Sumathi Murthy and Tejal Shah met in a chance but momentous encounter. This meeting was facilitated by our interest and close bonds or activist relationship with the hijra/transgender community in Bangalore, India. This is when the roots of the project took ground. Through workshops, interviews, documentation and community living with the participants to the project (consistently working with 7 participants), we have collected sounds, testimonies, drawings, text, video, performance and photographs. Based on this material and an incisive vision of expression, the artists in a strong collaboration went on to respond through sound compositions, classical singing, video art and performance for video, building narratives between the mediums and at the same time dealing with the very particular lives of hijras in India and certain sensations/emotions which existentially transcend borders, create pores and flow between cultures and through people. The first stage of this project culminated in a performance/exhibition touring at The Alliance Française in Bangalore, Pune and Bombay (India, March-April, 2005). This stage of the project was primarily executed during DrFloy’s residence in India as part of the Indo-French creation cultural exchange program. The performance will tour in Europe from October 2005 with the presence of Sumathi, and a DVD-Book is under production. The project will continue to its next stage, extending to include new media, interactive-electronic live performance, sound/video installation, photography and text. Tejal Shah is coming in residency in France from the end of October to work as part of the Indo-French creation cultural exchange program. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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PRESENTATION OF THE ARTISTS DrFloy Krouchi aka DrFloy, a French sound artist, bass guitarist and electronic composer, involved in the electronic and experimental music scene and in the female collective Mafucage has been performing since1994 in France, Uk, US, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Tchequia, Russia, China, and India. She produces and releases music for diverse supports in various art forms such as CDs, vinyl EPS, internet web art, videos, installations and collaborates with various artists, collectives and queer groups in Europe. Founder of the organization “Le Cri du Silence “, (The Cry of Silence): Women arts and technologies, dedicated to producing, training and promoting female musicians in the field of electronics.

Sumathi, a student of Hindustani classical vocal Music has been learning music for 20 years under late Pandit Ramarao Naik, Pandit D.S Garud, Pandit Yaeshwant Buva Joshi, and Smt Lalit Rao. She is mostly involved in experimental programs. She is also a music composer working for documentary films and theatre.

Tejal Shah is a visual artist based in Bombay, India. She works with video, sound, photo and multi-media installations. Her works have shown in museums, galleries and film festivals in India and internationally. Tejal co-founded India's premier International Film Festival on Sexuality and Gender plurality, Larzish. Natasha Mendonca, a film maker from Bombay has been collaborating on Sakhi ri video art with Tejal Shah.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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The participants are : Anand, Kajol, Revathi , Sanjana , Sneha, Sommya, Sonu and Sunil They are all sexual minorities members and rights activists , part of the hijra community or gender variant individuals closely linked to it.

. Photo: Video extract Sakhi Ri Sho w

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI VARIOUS PROPOSALS

I. LIVE PERFORMANCE: SAKHI RI IS PROPOSED AS A LIVE PERFORMANCE UNDER TWO POSSIBLE FORMS:

1- LIVE ELECTRONICS, BASS GUITAR, HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL VOCALS, VIDEO ART, POETRY

ON STAGE: DrFloy: Electronics, bass guitar Sumathi: Hindustani Classical vocals Tejal Shah: Video art Anand+ Sneha: poetry, performance + percussion

Photo: Tejal SHAH pour Sakhi Ri

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Electronic treatments, beats, experimental soundscapes , Hindustani classical alaaps and ragas, sculpting themes and emotions, and building ,around an intimate fluid relation between sound compositions and video art, intricate narratives dealing with the particularity of the hijra context, dissonance and gender de/construction as well as universal emotions. A musical creation built out of a poetic research exploring gender issues, human rights and sexual minorities’ rights, making space for our multiple voices; exploring pain, joy, love and celebrating our lives through multimedia artistic expression. After collecting material through various meetings and workshops with hijra groups and individuals for the time of a residency in Bangalore, the artists present different music compositions where live electronics treat and transfigure the collected sources, testimonies and poems, while poetry is performed and sung, interacting with video. The show includes a live performance of 7 audio and video pieces. The musical encounter between DrFloy and Sumathi is astounding , exploring Sufi queer poetry from India and Pakistan, as well as texts generated by the participants, in a fusional and experimental encounter between Hindustani classical vocals and electronics. How can experimental soundscapes, treatments and classical vocals deal together? How can music, poetry, and video reveal, attract or repel(?) each other? What kind of meaning or sensations appear through?(?) How is gender constructed by artists, art, music, electronics, visuals, poetry, images, by people, by mainstream people? What about people who transgress the borders? Has Creation to do with creating one’s own life, one’s own gender? What creative potential lies in being “in the margins”? "SAKHI RI" is an electro-acoustic, multimedia performance crossing genders. Five shows of “Sakhi Ri” were presented at the Alliances françaises of Bangalore, Pune, and Bombay, India, in March-April 2005. The performance toured along with the involved artists and participants to the workshops.

Photo: Video extract “FAMIL’4S FAMILA”- Sakhi Ri SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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2. INTERACTIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO EXPERIMENTAL LIVE MIX ON STAGE: DrFloy: Electronics Tejal Shah: Video live mix

Photo: Video extract “THE CITY”r Sakhi Ri

Tejal Shah ( Video Artist, Bombay ) and DrFloy ( Sound artist, France) will investigate, through real time manipulation of sounds, images, poetry and narratives collected in India, the idea of transformation, binary-non binary, control, compression, reduction vs. flux, expansion, and multiplication, the body as a site of on-going metamorphosis and mutation. This manifests through biological and technological interventions in the case of the participants. As artists interested in the interface between art and technology, we are proposing to explore live real-time audio/video controlled environments using various technological tools and software. DrFloy is treating here fragments of interviews, field recordings, poetry and narratives recorded in India with the participants, about their lives and experiences. With such software as Max Msp, Lisa, Live ... the live experimental electronics is a full experience of a sensorial type using short loops and typical sounds of the hijra culture, as well as strains of classical vocals treated and deconstructed. At the heart of Tejal's oeuvre, lie themes such as identity, multiplicity, the body, gender and sexuality that are central to contemporary culture. By developing her own expressive language and by focusing on video, photography, installation and sound; she directly addresses these by positing between them a mental space of kaleidoscopic, protean proportions. When the psychoanalytic term “borderline” appears, as in Taru Elfving’s essay, it stands for the formal principle of video, films and photographs that enables boundaries to flow into each other and subvert such distinctions, as stasis vs. movement, fiction vs. documentation, and the beauty of colour, light, and space vs. the harshness of social reality. “I am permanently troubled by identity categories, consider them to be invariable stumbling blocks, and understand them and even promote them, as sites of necessary trouble.”[3] The troubled site of identity has formed the consistent basis for producing work which embodies an alternative politics of representation, as well as a heterodox approach to art-making. One of these identities has included that of ‘transgenderism’. Having worked for many years in collaboration with various artists, my interest has been to develop my art practice while engaging with contemporary theory and thought (including feminist and queer theory) and engaging with process based methodology to produce issue based work. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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II. INSTALLATIONS / INSTALLATIONS performance: SAKHI RI can also be presented under the form of sound and video installations in space such as galleries, art centres, multimedia festival...

1. MULTI-MEDIA INSTALLATIONS OF "SAKHI RI" (SOUND AND VIDEO): FORMAT: SCREENINGS/ INSTALLATIONS “SAKHI RI”- Seven audio-video pieces

Photo: Video extract “THE CITY” Sakhi Ri

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI”- Seven audio-video pieces Sakhi Ri” is composed of 7 audio video pieces that can be screened together or independently. They can also be presented under the form of a sound and video installation, in spaces like Galleries or any exhibition/ public spaces. As a selection we propose: -“THE CITY” Projection DVD track No2 The description of the urban space and the location of hijras within it. A text written by Sneha, a 21 year old bisexual Hijra from Bangalore. -“INNER TURMOIL” PROJECTION DVD track No8 “I seem to be walking, somewhat limitless, beyond boundaries”. The spiral of oppression from outside to inside to outside. The inner fight for sanity against madness, walking on the wild side. -“FAMILA’s FAMILA” PROJECTION DVD track No1 A piece dedicated to Famila, a feminist bisexual hijra sexworker and sexual minority’s activist in India, who passed away in unfortunate circumstances in 2004 at the age of 25. Revolutionary in her spirit, her fights and her way of living, she built bridges and spaces for many people of her community and for all of us. She organized the “HIJRA habba” (Hijra Festival) in Bangalore in 2003. -“QUEERLOVE” PROJECTION DVD track no5 “Love is a stream which goes the opposite way, the one who crosses the stream, is the one who is lost, the one who is drowned is the one who reaches” lyrics from the Sufi saint Amir Khusrau. -“ANANDO’S DOOR” PROJECTION DVDtrackNo7 A Silent track. Doors and transformations. The interaction between the artists, the participants, and the location/ space.

Photo:Tejal Shah –Sakhi ri

Video art was intricately conceived with the sound tracks and the audio documents collected with the participants of the project in India, and is based on the poetic images and associations generated by the participants. These video pieces also somehow reflect, by the use of “blacks”, the predominant status in the medias of images over sound, and react to it by creating moments when the viewer becomes listener - the ear only is solicited. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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2. MULTI-MEDIA INSTALLATION OF NEW VIDEO PIECES:

Photo: Tejal SHAH- Sakhi Ri

DrFloy along with Tejal Shah, who will be in Europe from October 2005 for a residency on the project granted by the French cultural services of France in India, will continue working on Sakhi Ri taking it closer to its 3rd stage of production and presentation where the project will be presented as a series of multi-media installations including video & sound installation, exhibition of photographs, live performance, sensory spatioinstallation using kinetics, text and sculpture all contained within a unified space Continuation and Outline of the Work during the Residency of TEJAL SHAH in Paris: For the residency in Paris, Tejal Shah and DrFloy will continue working on Sakhi Ri taking it closer to its 3rd stage of production and presentation where the project will be presented as a series of multi-media installations including video & sound installation, photography, live performance, sensory spatio-installation using kinetics, text and sculpture all contained within a unified space. Expanding on this ongoing collaboration; many new areas, forms and themes need to be developed. An outline of this includes: *Looking into holographic technologies in tandem with photography to produce portraits of each participant using images collected from them from childhood, transition to present life. *An asphyxiated utopia is what we seem to live and oscillate between. This isn’t just an urban condition but perhaps a pre-disposition of the times we live in. As mentioned earlier this utopia could well be a ‘no-place’. Based on this we will be developing a video/sound/photo installation using the idea of multiple short loops: a movement, moment or gesture that is never released creating a sensation of asphyxia. Individual and collective techniques and strategies of living / survival / resistance to the power structures; Art as an instrument: learning, communicating, experiencing, living; *Mythological epic tales, folk culture and classical art forms in India abound with examples of the figure of the homosexual and transgender man. These readings from literature and history have been compiled in the scholastic book ‘Same-Sex Love In India’ by Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai. Taking off from some of these tales we will develop live performance with performance art by Tejal Shah, DrFloy and dance & movement collaboration with contemporary Brazilian dancer Sheila Donna based in Paris. This will be integrated within the larger presentation. Performance artist as a self-media outside of academic and institutional legitimations. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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III. PRODUCTION/ RESIDENCY: 1. PRODUCTION OF A MUSIC CD ALBUM of DRFLOY AND SUMATHI (ELECTRO INDIAN)

Photo: DrFloy - Sakhi Ri

Following one stay in India from October 2003 to January 2004 , where she studied in Pune with Pandit Hindraj Divekar (a maestro of Rudra Veena and Sitar) classical Hindustani music (ragas, talas and srutis), adapting it to her instrument , the fretless bass guitar, DrFloy met in Bangalore the Indian artist Sumathi, a classical singer and an author-composer trained since her early years in classical Indian singing: an artistic and human connection materialised immediately between the two artists, giving birth to 4 titles they recorded in a Bangalore studio.( Cf CD Demo 4 titles) . When DrFloy came for a residency in December 2004, they continued working on diverse tracks exploring the interaction between electronics and classical vocals and integrating them in the multimedia show. They are now working on finishing the production of an album. The electronic compositions are based on sounds collected, recorded and worked during the various stays of DrFloy in India: - "Fields recordings": daily life, ceremonies, activities, interviews, events such as World social Forum in Bombay... - Studio recordings of featuring artists, soloists and instrumentalists processed and integrated in the electronic compositions such as: Anuradha Pal (tablas), Ramakrishna (Harmonium), Gail Hart (vocals) - Rhythmic programmations. Sumathi's soulful vocals are based on traditional ragas in their various forms, tempos, and interpretations such as alap, jod, and taans. Her lyrics are based on the poetry generated during the workshops, as well as exploring Sufi (queer) poetry from India and Pakistan. The electro acoustic exploration approaches those different points: -A real time treatment of Sumathi's and the contributor's intervention thanks to electro-acoustic software -The relationship between electronic rhythmic programmations and traditional Indian rhythms (tablas): Transpositions of the odd rhythms (7, 9 beats...characteristic of Indian Music) -The exploration of Indian musical themes/ Ragas corresponding to precise moments of the day and emotions (RASA) SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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LOOKING FOR FINANCIAL OR PRODUCTION SUPPORT THROUGH A RESIDENCY OF DrFLOY FOR NEW VIDEO AND AUDIO PIECES 1. AUDIO AND VIDEO PIECES Those two pieces have been already conceived and shot in India during DrFloy's residency, with Indian classical artists and participants of the projects from the hijra community. "BAHUCHARA MATTA" Hindustani classical Dance, vocals, performance, video art and electronics FORMAT: INSTALLATION AUDIO and VIDEO experimental PIECE- 25 mins Synopsis: An exploration of mythological references to Hijras, transgenders and homosexuals in popular or sacred tradition of India: the story of Bahuchara Matta. Bahuchara was given in marriage to a prince who never spent time with her. Instead, he would go to the jungle every night on his white horse. Bahuchara decided to follow her husband and find out why he never came to her. As she had no horse, she rode a jungle fowl. She discovered that her husband spent the night in the jungle behaving as a woman. "If you are not interested in women, why did you marry me?" asked Bahuchara. The prince begged her forgiveness and said his parents had forced him into marriage so that he could father children. Bahuchara declared that she would forgive him if he and other men like him worshipped her as a goddess, dressed as a woman. Today, hijras, transgenders, hermaphrodites, and homosexuals are devotees of Bahuchara Matta, the goddess of hijras. CREDITS: Concept DrFloy. Video and electronic sound piece / installation 25 mns Performance: Barathnatyam Classical dance: Hamsa Molini Performance, Dance and Movement: Sneha Hindustani classical vocals, composition and texts: Sumathi Electronics: DrFloy May 2005: Shootings in Bangalore School of arts. Camera: DrFloy& Tejal shah Lights: Tejal Shah Sound recordings at Music Mint Studio

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Photo: Tejal SHAH pour Sakhi Ri

Artistic statement: Conceived by DrFloy, the piece explores 3 poles: 1- How new meanings and narratives can be built out of the meeting of classical arts, popular arts and digital /electronic treatments and manipulation. 2- How the classical art of Barathnatyam (Indian classical dance) in the art to tell epic and mythological stories along with the classical form of Thumris, Indian classical songs written by Sumathi -confront a story of transgression of the social order, heteronormativity and somehow build an History of the "outcast" -confront with the Performance art, dance and movement by Sneha , a young hijra, who plays the role of the young prince, and integrate hijras dance, and typical gestures, postures in her performance 3-How these transformations and manipulations of material through digital arts can resonate with the process of transformation itself of the characters, and of the different elements of nature present in the story,( fire, water, jungle, day/ night, animals, magic) questioning fixed identities by the use of new technologies. -Electronic treatment and de-construction of the story: through video installations, and the use of several screens.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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"SPACES OF A HIJRA LIFE"

FORMAT: INSTALLATION AUDIO and VIDEO experimental PIECE- 25mins SYNOPSIS: A portrait of Sneha, a young twenty-one year old bisexual hijra, through various locations in the city where she was born and has lived, related to particular moments or stages in her life. 1- Her house, the place of her childhood: this is the missing place. She has been completely cut from her family and can’t go back there. Audio documents only, interview of Sneha about her childhood 2- The City Market: when she ran away from home at the age of 11, her survival strategies, the people she met, how she met other kothis, and finally started to learn about hijras culture, how she started to earn a living, by selling fruits and starting sex work. 3- The Hammam: When joining the hijra community, young hijras in south India traditionally live in Hammam, a place ran by a guru ( older hijra in the hierarchy), where young hijras can have food and shelter, and where they practise Sex work, that's also where traditionally transmission between gurus and chelas, mother and daughter, is done. 4- The clinic: the place where Sneha went for vagina reconstruction, which she was one of the first hijra in Bangalore to do. Interview with the doctor, shooting in the clinic During my previous trip in India, I attended the "Mattah pujah" of Sneha, took pictures, ceremony done by her hijra family 40 days after castration. Artistic statement: A reflexion of the space left to “outcast” people, hijras and sexual minorities in mainstream society, through the space of the city. How every time new strategies of survival, bounding etc... are created. The tradition of hijra culture through significant events in Sneha’s life (castration/ Nirvan, her guru’s death etc...). The video and installation will play on the reconstruction of the spaces, focusing on striking details, architecture, texture and soundscapes These two pieces are also the foundation and axis of a documentary that will be produced: a portrait of the hijra community in Bangalore through subjective experiences and portraits of 3 characters, 2 young hijras and one khoti. CREDITS: Concept DrFloy. Video and electronic sound piece / installation 25 mns

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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IV. INTERCULTURAL PROJECT: The Sakhi ri project is engaged in research on the concept of genre/gender in music by trying to create encounters between female musicians (in India:Anuradha Pal, one of the few tabla players). It could be interesting to present this show, through your services, to the different cultural structures existing...while fostering meetings and exchanges with local female artists interested in those themes (poets, writers, musicians, video artists, militants for human rights with some experience of sexual minorities, associations, groups...) In each country where the show will be given, the artists and the participants will try to meet local artists to intervene on the material selected, or to create, together, new thematic approaches for the project. This cultural and musical project of exchanges of female musicians is presented by the association “Soluble dans l’Air”(Paris) and the mobile studio “Le Cri du Silence”. The interactive format suggested is the following : Tour of the show “Sakhi ri” with writing and electro-acoustic workshops. Writing and research of texts with the participation of intervening guests, through workshops gathering speach, writing, collections of experiences, and of course poetic research. Electro-acoustic encounters with female musicians and local video artists, exchanges between electronic experimental music and traditional music, together with an aesthetic and methodological research in the electro-acoustic universe, with softwares specifically adapted for encounters and experiments in real time, such as MAXMSP/IRCAM and LISA/STEIM , also enabling the interaction picture/sound.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI CREATIVE PROCESS, BACKGROUND AND ARTISTIC ORIENTATION

METHODOLOGY- CREATIVE PROCESS All the work conceived by DrFloy during her residency in India was conceptualized to be presented as a performance tour, “Sakhi Ri”. The working methodology employed is unique, melting poetics with narrative; creative workshops, interviews, real life documentation and community living with the participants of the project generated the foundation material from which the artists have responded. The first workshop explored childhood experiences, the process of transformation, present life and future hopes producing testimonies, poetry on body change, love, violence, narratives exploring the urban space of the city and the location of hijras within it, songs about family & societal oppression/acceptance, drawings and performances. The second workshop, dedicated to video and representation, conceived with Tejal Shah and film maker Natasha Mendonca and based on the poetic images and associations generated by the participants during the first workshop, was at the heart of video art created. From this material, DrFloy and Sumathi have been composing: electronic treatments, beats, experimental soundscapes, Hindustani classical alaaps and ragas, sculpting themes and emotions, building an intimate fluid relation between sound compositions and video art, intricate narratives dealing with the particularity of the hijra context, dissonance and gender de/construction." Cf annexes Workshop content

BACKGROUND: The Creation of Gender as a Binary System Gender forms an integral part of every interaction we have in the society and influences our lived realities. Whether consciously or unconsciously, it is true that when we meet someone we are automatically classifying the person into the binary categories of either male or female. Transgender (hijra) and transsexual people along with those born intersexes or hermaphrodites by their mere existence destabilize the way in which our world is ordered. Hijras: The Male-To-Female (MTF) Transgender Community in India, History and Present The hijras in India (‘hijra’ in Arabic means holy, and may have been derived from the Urdu word SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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‘Ezra’ that means a wanderer or a nomad) claim a sacred space in the culture due to their third gender status which is called ‘pingala’ in Sanskrit, and invoked as ‘shiva-shakti’, the image of Shiva as half-male and half-female, representing a god who is ageless, formless, and sexless. Having given this historical background, it is important to state that hijras in contemporary India much like their transgender counterparts in other parts of the world face cultural and social contexts that inform(19) their limited choices of sex work and begging and are faced with a legal framework that is pre-occupied with regulating the movements of hijras to the margins and as non-citizens forced to live with no civil rights. “A socially apprehensible citizen is a collection of physical and discursive elements… The discursive part of the package, including meaning ascribed to the physical body, is produced by means of inscription, such as legal, medical and psychological text. Because so much of such an identity is discursive, it seems reasonable to call it a legible body- that is textually mediated physically. Legible body displays the social meaning of “body” inscribed on its surface, presenting a set of cultural codes that organize the ways the body is understood and that determine a range of socially appropriate responses.”[1] Cf: annexes hijra community

ARTISTIC ORIENTATION: Some of the questions we asked were: How can music, poetry, and video reveal, attract or repel each other? What kind of meaning or sensations appears through them? How is gender de/constructed by artists, art, music, electronics, poetry, images, by people, by mainstream people? What about people who transgress the borders? Has Creation to do with creating one's own life, one's own gender? What creative potential lies in being "in the margins"? Most of all Sakhi Ri exudes hope for ‘isn’t the world today too dangerous for anything less than utopia?’[2] The promise of Utopia which literally is a 'no-place' or the dream of a peaceful and just world makes its presence felt in our conceptual undertakings. This entire project as initiated by DrFloy is a strong example of inter-cultural exchange, crossing borders and identities. Few projects are able to achieve this successfully. While the context of the work is rooted in India specifically, the issues explored are universal. Can we as artists arrive at a language that does not require translation regardless of loci?’ Do works, if they deal with issues, need to be understood only in a peripheral explicative way by any audiences? In order to question some of these assumptions, we would like to take this work into other kinds of spaces like France or abroad, while working just with live video (conceptually prepared) mixing in response to sound.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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FUTURE ORIENTATION: DrFloy and Sumathi are working on the production of an album. DrFloy and Tejal Shah will continue working on Sakhi Ri taking it closer to its 3rd stage of production and presentation where the project will be presented as a series of multi-media installations including video & sound installation, photography, live performance, sensory spatioinstallation using kinetics, text and sculpture all contained within a unified space. Expanding on this ongoing collaboration; many new areas, forms and themes need to be developed. While a lot of research and collection of material has taken place in India along with the first stage of post-production, Europe offers superior access to technology for fine artists. The next phase of work involves the use of such technologies to create interactive-sensory installations where sound and image are triggered through various parameters. An outline of this includes: *The body as a site of on-going metamorphosis and mutation. This manifests through biological and technological interventions in the case of the participants. As artists interested in the interface between art and technology, we are proposing to explore live real-time audio/video controlled environments using MAX/MSP (a powerful and intuitive real-time audio development environment) along with Jitter (a set of 133 brilliant video matrix and 3D graphics objects for the Max programming environment). This software was first developed by French company IRCAM. *Looking into holographic technologies in tandem with photography to produce portraits of each participant using images collected from them from childhood, transition to present life. *An asphyxiated utopia is what we seem to live and oscillate between. This isn’t just an urban condition but perhaps a pre-disposition of the times we live in. As mentioned earlier this utopia could well be a ‘no-place’. Based on this we will be developing a video/sound/photo installation using the idea of multiple short loops: a movement, moment or gesture that is never released creating a sense of asphyxia. Individual and collective techniques and strategies of living / survival / resistance to the power structures; Art as an instrument: learning, communicating, experiencing, living; [1] Sandy Stone, ‘Split Subjects, Not Atoms; or, How I Fell in Love with My Prosthesis’, The Cyborg Handbook [2] Buckminster Fuller

SAKHI RI PREVISIONAL BUDGET 2005-2006 SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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PREVISIONNEL DES DEPENSES EN EUROS Catégorie 1. TOUR (hors cachet) VHR (Voyages Hébergement Restauration)

Descriptif

Nombre

Montant en euros HT

AR Paris/Bangalore

2

2000

Voyage Europe Paris-Londres Londres-Bruxelles Bruxelles-Paris Paris-Marseille Marseille-Toulouse Toulouse-Barcelone Barcelone-Madrid Madrid-Paris Location véhicules

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Hébergement restauration pour 7 dates

6

Sous total voyage

Sous total Hébergement Sous total VHR Technique logistique Sous total technique Salaire coordinatrice Communication

2250 8640 Location vidéo projecteur

1000 1000 1500 500

Frais de fonctionnement

Sous total coordination TOTAL DEPENSES TOUR 2. PRODUCTION 2 pièces vidéo1 album audio Salaires Salaires artistes pour 2 mois Sous total salaires artistes Technique logistique son Sous total son

70x6= 420 80x6= 480 90x6= 540 60x6= 360 60x6= 360 50x6= 300 55x6= 330 150x6= 900 700 6390 420x6= 2250

2000 18030

4

Location studio et matériel

4000 4000

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

4000x2= 80000 8000

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Technique logistique vidéo Sous total vidéo Technique logistique installation Sous total installation TOTAL PRODUCTION TOTAL DEPENSES

Location studio et matériel

2000 2000 1000 1000 15000 33030

BUDGET PREVISIONNEL DES RECETTES EN EUROS Catégorie

Descriptif

Nombre

1. Voyages Sponsors privés (agnes b, mama cash, compagnies aériennes) Sous total voyage 2. Production Apport collectif cri du silence Matériel Association soluble dans l’air Salaires Mama cash Services culturels français en Voyage + Résidence Inde de Tejal SHAH Structure de residence Sous total production 3. Support tour Support tour ministère de la culture Support de la structure Hebergement,perdiem d’accueil de programmation Cachets des artistes Agnes B/divers partenaires DRAC … Sous total support Tour TOTAL RECETTES

Montant en euros HT 2000

2000 3000 3000 4000 2500 3000 15500 5000 4200 6330 15530 33030

SAKHI RI TECHNICAL LIST

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SOUND TECHNICAL LIST 1: BACKLINE 1 Bass amp (Ampeg, Hartke or equivalent 200 watts) 1.1: FRONT OF HOUSE 1. Full range high quality speaker system including subs, suitable for the venue (rough Guide 15KW/person) 2. Mixing desk: 16 channels minim, 4 group, 4 sends, parametric EQ, inserts 3. 31 band graphic EQ on house outputs 4. 2 x stereo compressors (Drawners, DBX, Behringer) 5. SPX or LEXICON Effect Unit 1.2: STAGE MONITORS 3 stage monitors 1.3 LINE LIST AND SOUND EQUIPMENT 1. ELECTRONICS -L ACTIVE DI 2. ELECTRONICS- R ACTIVE DI 3. ELECTRONICS-2-L ACTIVE DI 4. ELECTRONICS- 2ACTIVE DI 5. BASS ACTIVE DI 6. VOX-POETRY SM58 7. VOX SUMATHI SM58 8. EFXA-L LINE 9. EFXA-R LINE 10. EFXB-L LINE 11. EFXB-R LINE

COMPRESSOR COMPRESSOR

SOUND INGENIOR: MIREILLE FAURE (OO 33 6 20 33 61 73)

VIDEO TECHNICAL LIST 2 LCD video/data projectors (min 2500 lum + key stone facility) 2 TV monitors 1 DVD player 2 MiniDV Cameras (Sony or Panasonic) 2 screens (8 feet x 10 feet) 1 MX50 video mix board

SAKHI RI PRESS

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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QuickTime™ et un décompresseur TIFF (Uncompressed) sont requis pour visualiser cette image.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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QuickTime™ et un décompresseur TIFF (Uncompressed) sont requis pour visualiser cette image.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI ANNEXES

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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ARTISTS BIOGRAPHY

Floy Krouchi - DrFloy [email protected] 29 rue Jussieu 75005 Paris France 00 33 6 24 99 81 41 DrFloy Krouchi aka DrFloy, a French sound artist, bass guitarist and electronic composer, involved in the electronic and experimental music scene and in the female collective Mafucage has been performing since1994 in France, Uk, US , Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Tchequia, Russia, China, and India. She produces and releases music for diverse supports in various art forms such as CDs, vinyl EPS, internet web art, videos, installations and collaborates with various artists, collectives and queer groups in Europe. Founder of the organization “Le Cri du Silence “, (The Cry of Silence): Women arts and technologies, dedicated to producing, training and promoting female musicians in the field of electronics.

SELECTED PROJECTS 2005-2004 « FUGAS SUBVERSIVAS”: “reflexiones hibridas sobre la(s) identidad (es). LSD: “Memoria pendular”, Video 6mns y DVD, Universitat de Valencia, Spain, August/Sept. “SAKHI RI”: an electro-acoustic multimedia performance crossing genders and mixing sounds, images, video and poetry in India: Alliance française, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, March/April.2003 Jan/June 2004. A project exploring gender de/ construction with members of the hijras community, a traditional transsexual community of India, and gender variants(?) individuals. The show includes a live electronics performance of 7 sound and video pieces, Hindustani classical vocals, Video Live Mix, Performances, Poetry and a Photo Exhibition. Conceived in India during an artist residency, this project is an interdisciplinary, process-based collaboration between DrFloy (Electro-Acoustic Sound Artist, France) and Indian artists Sumathi (Hindustani Classical Vocals) and Tejal Shah (Video Art). The working methodology employed is unique, melting poetics with narrative; creative workshops, interviews, real life documentation and community living with some participants from the hijra Community generated the foundation material from which the artists have responded with their art forms. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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2003-1994 “MAFUCAGE”: A collective of Paris-based female musicians grouped around this legend of Mafu, (the last of the Androgyns being caged up), frenetically scrambling the rigid boundaries and yokes between electro, acoustic electronics, dub, break beat, techno and experimental music. A series of performances punctuating a Paris-Berlin-Moscow-Beijing train trip which was leading them to the Fourth International Conference on Women, and many performances at festivals, squats, and free parties... DrFloy (bass Machine), Krysto (drum Machine), Mxr Koz'n (noisy fx guitar) As an electro-instrumental trio, Mafucage has been developing an original repertoire and setting up projects and performances under diverse forms, inviting up to 7 performers on stage in Italy, playing the most intimate live electronics on the experimental video `NUIT` in Brussels, or Barcelona … or touring East Europe with the Brazilian poetess Teresa Moreira de Jesus,…) Selected performances of Mafucage: « FEMALE AVANT GARDE », Tchequia, Poland, Germany (2003)-« HARDCORE FEVER », Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2003) « JUNCTIONS », Constantvzw, Brussels, (2002) “NUIT” Hangar, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela (2003) « MONASTERY of SOUND », UK (2000) « PARIS, BERLIN, MOSCOU, BEIJING » (1995) « FEMMES DU CHIAPAS » (1994) …………. www.mafucage.org

2004-2000 “ONE ART”- online project Electronic pieces under the name of One Art, a personal project born in reaction to political, social and cultural events, made out of different collaborations and broadcast through a musical programme on an Internet radio “Conscious Tunez”... “SARALUCID” http://saralucid.free.fr : a website site about Palestinian/Israeli conflict identities, tragedia and artistic transfiguration, composed of “illustrated poeticized testimonies” of Palestinian women, collected in the occupied territories, and of ambient dub creations, electroacoustics , One Art with Kamilya Jubran and Meira Asher, 2003/“ACT UP!” Interviews, sound track and online video, 2000 “DREAMTIME 4 PEACE”- 2000-

2005-1995 Various MEDIAS COLLABORATION with queer groups and activists such as “LSD Madrid “.

VIDEOS, INSTALLATIONS, MULTIMEDIAS “RETROALIMENTACION”, Video, LSD Madrid / Transgeneric@s- San Sebastian -1999. “ANONYMOUS FILM PORTRAIT”, Video and installation of Virginia Villaplana / Biennale d ‘art de Valence, 2001. “NUIT”, Film (50mns) Virginia Villaplana, an electro and fire performance organized by “Le Cri du Silence “, August 2001… with Mafucage “MAKE PEACE”, tekno dance floor for an interactive installation, Slovenia, Kibla Public Radio 2001. “INVISIBLE WORK”: Sound Installation and slides. Porto 2001 / First Women Building Story/ LSD Projection October 2002. « MEMORIA PENDULAR», Video, 6mns + DVD, LSD Madrid, 2005 SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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“THE CITY”, “INNER TURMOIL”, “QUEERLOVE”, “FAMILA’s FAMILA”: Sound and video ART pieces in collaboration with Tejal Shah and Sumathi, as part of “SAKHIRI”, a multimedia performance, INDIA 2005.

FORMATION-RESIDENCES 2005: Program “Artist in Residency”, French cultural services, India 2004: STEIM- Amsterdam (NL). Electro acoustic, real-time software LISA and SENSOR lab test 2003-4: Hindustani Classical class with PANDIT HINDRAJ DIVEKAR, a master of Rudra Veena and Sitar, Pune (India): ragas, talas, srutis, microtones and non tempered scale Studio Bakelite, Montpellier, France, MAO, analogic synthesis, Digital Audio, Sequencing and composition. 1998: Cultural artistic centre “Le Brise Glace”, Grenoble, France: Music and new technologies, samplers, midi sequencing, mixing production. 1996: Grant « DEFI JEUNE » for the creation of “le Cri du Silence”. 1993: AFRO- CUBAN RHYTHM study 1992: Guildhall Summer School, London, fellowship, JAZZ, HARMONY, QUINTET WORKSHOP 1991- 1989: HARMONIE (American School of Modern Music), IMPROVISATION (quintet workshop, conservatoire Paris V) 1991: “Literature, Art, Culture, and Communication”, licence PARIS III

2002:

SELECTED DATES EVENTS and PERFORMANCES 2005 “DASH” + I-Snor- improvisation neurotic electronics. Festival “Le placard”/ Paris “SAKHI RI” an electro-acoustic multimedia performance/ Bangalore-Pune-Mumbai / INDIA

2004 “KARAKOLA”, Conscious mix, Madrid/SPAIN “NESS” ethno electro musical temporary autonomous zone, Paris/ FR “GARDEN OF EDEN”, Puna/ INDIA “WSF”: recordings with VIVIDHA, Bombay/INDIA

2003 “FEMMES EN RESISTANCE”, sound installation, Paris/FRANCE“NUIT” Hangar, Barcelona/SPAIN “MAFUCAGE 9 YEARS”, Marseille/FR “FEMALE AVANT GARDE ”festival and tour /PRAGA/ DRESDEN/WROKLAW Europe tour 03 “HARDCORE FEVER-PALAIS DE TOKYO, Paris/FR “NUIT”Cuerpos de produccion, Santiago de Compostela/ SPAIN

2002 “JUNCTIONS”-Constantvzw(?), Brussels/BELGIUM “ALTERNATIONS” -Vision Musicale, Paris/FR “DA RUA” Electro, Street music and performance”, Montpellier/FR “ADN volX”, la Barbare, Paris/FR Festival DKP, Macon/FR

2001 “NO MAS GUERRAS ….LSD, Porto 2001/PORTUGAL “SISTERSOUNDSYSTEM-SABAT” electro-fire performance and free party/ south of FR “LAVILLETTE@OM” caves st sabin, Paris/FR « CABARET TRASH » electrofire and body painting-la Barbare, Paris/FR SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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“TEKNO TROUBLE FREE”-la Barbare, Paris/FR “010101” live, Hekate Sound System, /SPAIN

2000 “FREE MUMMIA” conscious Dj Set, Montreuil/FR “MONASTERY OF SOUND”, Law and Auder/UK “MIXMOVE” Conscious mix, Paris/FR “TEKNIVAL”/BLOIS “PRIMEROSE”/ GOA-INDIA

1999 “YNOT2K”-hypertunez, Goa/INDIA “END OF THE WORLD party», Barcelona/SPAIN “SPOR festival-STORMCORE”, Brighton/UK “CYBERCULTURE CONTRE GENOCIDE” Webbart, Paris/FR

1998 “TRANS_GENERIC@S “ video installation, LSD, San Sebastian/SPAIN “TEKNIVALS” / South OF FRANCE “EXODUS FESTIVAL», Luton/UK “BRISE-GLACE” ,Grenoble/FR

1997 “TEKNIVALS”/ FR “LE BIG BANG” electro-acoustic tour, PG2M, Bordeaux, Toulouse/FR “TRAFFIC” festival CRDC, Nantes/FR

1996 “DES CROCHES ET LA LUNE”, festival, Verfeil/FR HOT BRASS, Paris/FR “CONCERT POUR LA LIBERTE”, Fleury Merogis/FR “LEON CAVALLO, Milan, Venezia, Bologna tour/IT “DIA DE LA MUJER”, Bilbao/SPAIN “LSD apartment”, Madrid/SPAIN “CONCERT POUR 12 CHANTEUSES”, Erotika, Paris/FR

1995 “HISTOIRE A TOTO”, Erotika, Paris/FR “TRANS_SIBERIAN sur fond d’ondes radiophoniques” / PARIS-BERLIN-MOSCOW-BEIJING-“ IVth International Conference on Women”/CHINA “BACK TO AMAZONIA”, Confluence, Paris/FR “8 Mars”, Bilbao/SPAIN “ZEBROCK” Ile de France/FR

1994 “NOIR D’IVOIRE”, live installation, Beaune/FR “FEMMES DU CHIAPAS”, Goumen, Paris/FR “TRIANON”, Paris/FR PARIS --ESEC / PARIS

DISCOGRAPHY EP VYNILS CDS002 : Mafucage : “ Full Power ” ; Maxi 2 titles /P&C Le Cri du Silence, 2000. CDS001 : Mafucage : “ O Barbares” ; Maxi4 titles P&C Le Cri du Silence, 1998/1000 ex. Projet 2501 : “ Free Form of Life ” ; Mafucage : “ Face2face”, “Birth of Living I”, “Conspiration”, “Le nom de ta mère”, vinyl, 2001 SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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DUBPLATES MAFUCAGE 7 inches : Ma sœur, Excision, Le jeu de la joie de jouir, Résistance, Samba Maria, Legend (2002)

CDS CDS003 : Mafucage : “ Forte tête ” ; 2 CDs 25 titres P&C Le Cri du Silence, 2002. Arboretum NYC : “ Mafucage/Ambient Dub” ; CD 5 titres; compilation Mafucage/One Art sur un jeune label new-yorkais.

COMPILATIONS HTZ 001 : Dub this Net : “Altered Connection I” - Mafucage :” Hostage in Babylon”, CD, 2001/2000 ex. Hi-Subway : “Alternative Novo Dub 2” - Mafucage : “Nomad Dub” ,CD, 2001/2000 ex. Rebellesound 1 / 2002

PARTICIPATION-GUEST “Face-Woman see a lot of things”- CD book release October 2004-Meira Asher (2004) “Le Bang” (LP vinyl + tour, 1997) “ Web stock”, cyberculture against genocide (live tape+ tour, 1999). “El Nino / No fashion “(maxivinyl 1999).-PLANET GENERATION.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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TEJAL SHAH 71, Satya Bhavan, S.B.S. Road, Colaba, Bombay-400 005, India +91 98204 01604, [email protected] / [email protected]

EDUCATION BACHELOR OF ARTS (PHOTOGRAPHY) ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MELBOURNE 1998-2000 EXCHANGE SCHOLAR BACHELOR OF FINE ART (PHOTO, VIDEO, FILM) SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO 1999 - 2000

WORK EXPERIENCE CURRENTLY WORKING AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST FOUNDER, ORGANISER AND CURATOR FOR ‘LARZISH, INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF SEXUALITY & GENDER PLURALITY, INDIA’, JAN 2003-JAN 2005 VISITING FACULTY (VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY) AT THE SNDT COLLEGE ‘POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COMMUNICATION & MEDIA’ & SOPHIA POLYTECHNIC, ‘SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION MEDIA’, BOMBAY, 2001ADMINISTRATION & INSTALLATION, CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY, MELBOURNE, 8/2000-11/2000 PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE MEMBER, MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL, MELBOURNE, 2000

SOLO SHOWS ‘THE TOMB OF DEMOCRACY’, GALLERY PRUSS & OCHS, BERLIN, GERMANY, MARCH-APRIL 2003 ‘In-transit’: photo, sound, video. AN INSTALLATION EXHIBITION, VISCOM9 GALLERY, RMIT, MELBOURNE, NOVEMBER 2000

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS & PERFORMANCES 2005 ‘PRESENT-FUTURE’, NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, BOMBAY, JUNE ‘SAKHI RI’: AN ELECTRO ACOUSTIC MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE, CROSSING GENDERS AND MIXING SOUNDS, IMAGES, VIDEO AND POETRY IN MUSIC, IN COLLABORATION WITH DR FLOY & SUMATHI, ALLIANCE FRANCAISE, BANGALORE-PUNE-BOMBAY, MARCH / APRIL

2004 KHOJ INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART RESIDENCY OPEN STUDIO, KHOJ STUDIOS, NEW DELHI, DECEMBER ‘CROSSING CURRENTS: VIDEO ART AND CULTURAL IDENTITY’, CURATED BY JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, DELHI, INDIA, NOVEMBER ‘PROPAGANDISTA: THE MANUFACTURING AND DISSEMINATION OF PROPAGANDA’, TORONTO FREE GALLERY, TORONTO, CANADA, NOVEMBER - DECEMBER SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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INTERFACES / “PRINT-EMOTIONS”, BANGKOK, JULY ‘ZOOM! THE NEAR AND THE FAR IN CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART’, CURATED BY LUIS SERPA AND NANCY ADAJANIA, CULTURGEST MUSEUM, LISBON, PORTUGAL, APRIL - JUNE ‘INDIAN VIDEO ART: HISTORY IN MOTION’, CROSSING VISION-II, CURATED BY JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, ARTISTS’ GALLERY, FUKUOKA ASIAN ART MUSEUM, FUKUOKA, JAPAN, FEBURAY - MARCH

2003 ‘I LOVE MY INDIA’, CURATED BY JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, TOTAL MUSEUM, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, DECEMBER 14TH INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC ART FESTIVAL - VIDEOBRASIL, SOUTHERN COMPETITIVE SHOW, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, SEPTEMBER InteractivA ’03, A BIENNALE OF NEW MEDIA AND ELECTRONIC ARTS, CURATED BY RAUL FERRERABALANQUET, Cartodigital.Org & THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF YUCATAN (MACAY), MEXICO JULY- SEPTEMBER ‘THE REST OF THE WORLD’, CURATED BY ALEXANDER OCHS, NEUFFER AM PARK, PIRMASENS, GERMANY APRIL-JUNE ‘THE LOCAL TRAIN IN BOMBAY CITY’, CURATED BY MEHER PESTONJI, KALA GHODA FESTIVAL, DAVID SASSON LIBRARY, BOMBAY, FEBURARY

2002 ‘WAYS OF RESISTING: 92-02’, CURATED BY VIVAN SUNDARAM, RABINDRA BHAVAN GALLERIES, NEW DELHI, DECEMBER CROSS-FERTILIZATION: CONTEMPORARY INDIAN VIDEO ART, CURATED BY JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, MULTI MEDIA ART ASIA PACIFIC, CHINA MILLENNIUM MONUMENT, BEIJING, CHINA, OCTOBER ‘memorial’ - INSTALLATION; SOUND, TEXT, OBJECTS (PART OF RECLAIM OUR FREEDOM WEEK), GALLERY CHEMOULD, BOMBAY, AUGUST SELF: Contemporary Indian Video Art, CURATED BY JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, JULY VIDEO WORKS, CURATED BY SHARMILA SAMANT, GALLERY CHEMOULD, BOMBAY, JANUARY

2000 IN A PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER: PORNOGRAPHY, ART AND VIDEO, GALLERY 2, SAIC, CHICAGO, DECEMBER ANOTHER DOCUMENTRY: GROUP SHOW, VISCOM9 GALLERY, RMIT, MELBOURNE, OCTOBER WINK, UP & CUMMING PORNOGRAPHERS, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO & THE LEATHER ARCHIVES & MUSEUM, CHICAGO, MAY (Un)suitable Girls VISUAL ARTS SHOW: CURATED BY SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN’S ARTIST CREATIVE COLLECTIVE (SAWCC), PAISLEY GALLERY, NEW YORK, MARCH-APRIL BODY LANGUAGE: CURATED GROUP SHOW, GALLERY X, SAIC, CHICAGO, FEBURARY

1999 SELF-PORTRAIT: A GROUP SHOW, PHOTO DEPARTMENT SHOWCASES, SAIC, CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER KODAK TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP SHOW, VISCOM GALLERY 9, RMIT, MELBOURNE, JULY 98-99 ACADEMIC PRIZE WINNING STUDENTS SHOW, FINE ART GALLERY, RMIT, MELBOURNE, APRIL FINE PRINT SUMMER SCHOOL SHOW, VISCOM GALLERY 9, RMIT, MELBOURNE, MARCH

SCREENINGS untitled I SCREENED AT JAGRITI: A SOUTH ASIAN ARTS FESTIVAL, TUFTS UNIVERSITY, BOSTON, FEBURARY 2000 untitled III SCREENED AT LARZISH, 1ST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF SEXUALITY & GENDER PLURALITY, INDIA, OCTOBER 2003 CHINGARI CHUMMA SCREENED AT QUEER ZAGREB FM, CROATIA, APRIL, 2004 SARAI NEW MEDIA LAB, FRIDAY SCREENING, NEW DELHI, JANUARY, 2003 LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL, BERLIN, OCTOBER 2001 FLAMING FILM FESTIVAL: PLAYING WITH OURSELVES, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: INTERMEDIA ARTS SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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CENTER, MAY 2001 Grrrls, Uninterrupted, 19TH SAN FRANCISCO ASIAN AMERICAN FILM, FESTIVAL, MARCH 2001 REELING, THE 20TH CHICAGO LESBIAN & GAY FILM/VIDEO FESTIVAL, CHICAGO, NOVEMBER 2000 MIX, THE 14TH NEW YORK LESBIAN & GAY EXPERIMENTAL FILM/VIDEO FESTIVAL, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 2000 DIASPORADICS: AN ARTS & SOCIAL ACTIVISM SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORA FESTIVAL, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2000 6TH ANNUAL PRIDE NIGHT”, WOMEN IN DIRECTOR’S CHAIR, CHICAGO, JUNE 2000 I LOVE MY INDIA SCREENED AT EXPRESSIONS IN FREEDOM FILM FESTIVAL, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN RADIO & TELEVISION, INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, NEW DELHI, MARCH 2005 AAR PAAR III, VARIOUS VENUES IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN, 2004-2005 VIDEO ART ROAD SHOW - 3, PVR ANSAL PLAZA, NEW DELHI, INDIA, NOVEMBER 2004 0110 DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, BOMBAY/ DELHI/ CALCUTTA/ BANGALORE/ CHENNAI/ AHMEDABAD/ HYDERABD, INDIA 2004 ‘DISCURSIVE CAMPING: DWELLING ON THE MOVE’, ORGANISED BY UNWETTER, ROOSEUM: CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND PUBLIC SPACE OF MALMÖ, AUGUST 2004.VIDEO ART ROAD SHOW - 2, CARTER ROAD AMPHITHEATRE, BANDRA, INDIA, NOVEMBER 2003

ARTIST PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, “KHOJ INTENATIONAL ARTIST’S RESIDENCY”, DELHI, NOV-DEC, 2004 “OUT OF ORDER: THE POLITICAL IS PERSONAL”, ARTIST TALK & PRESENTATION OF WORKS, AT THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, BOMBAY, JULY 2003 AND BEACON HOUSE SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS, LAHORE, PAKISTAN, MARCH 2004 PARTICIPANT, “FILM APPRECIATION SUMMER PROGRAM”, FILM & TELIVISION INSTITUTE INDIA, MAYJUNE 2003 CO-CONDUCTED WORKSHOP, ‘RISE OF HINDU FUNDAMENTALISM & THE GENOCIDE IN GUJARAT’ ALONG WITH AN ARTIST PRESENTATION OF WORKS ‘MEMORIAL’ & ‘UNDER THE SHADE OF THE SWORD’, B_BOOKS, www.bbooksz.de & THE HEINDRICH BOEL FOUNDATION, BERLIN, MARCH 2003 PARTICIPANT, STRINGING WORDS & DESIRES: TALKING ABOUT SEX, SEXUALITY & GENDER ORGANISED BY INITIATIVES: WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT INDIA, MAY 2001 PRESENTED UNTITLED I WITH AN ARIST TALK AT “IMAGE & TEXT: A CHANGING RELATIONSHIP”, AN HONOURS, POST-GRADUATE AND Ph.D. CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CREATIVE MEDIA, RMIT, MELBOURNE, AUGUST 2000

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS RECOMMENDED CATEGORY AWARD, 0110 DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 2004 SPECIAL ASSISTANCE SCHOLARSHIP FUND, RMIT INTERNATIONAL, OCTOBER 2000 OVERSEAS EXCHANGE TRAVEL GRANT, RMIT INTERNATIONAL, AUGUST 1999 KODAK TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP, KODAK AUSTRALIA, MAY 1999

PUBLISHED WORKS / ARTICLES / CATALOGUE ESSAYS JOHAN PIJNAPPEL, ‘INDIAN VIDEO ART: HISTORY IN MOTION’, FUKUOKA ASIAN ART MUSEUM, JAPAN, 2004 NANCY ADAJANIA, ‘BIFOCAL VISION: THE NEAR AND THE FAR IN CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART’ IN ZOOM!, CULTURGEST MUSEUM, LISBON, PORTUGAL, 2004, pp. 23 - 46 PHOTOS AND WRITINGS PUBLISHED IN SCRIPTS: PAN QUEER ZINE, ISSUE 4 & 5, 2003-4 TRANZITIONAL ZONES: NICOLE WOLF INTERVIEWS TEJAL SHAH, ‘OUT OF ORDER’ IN n.paradoxa, INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST ART JOURNAL VOLUME 12, 2003 MEHER PESTONJI, ‘STREET PALETTES’ IN ART INDIA, VOL. VII, ISSUE IV, BOMBAY, 2002 BOOKCOVERS, 2002-1999 ‘WHAT ABOUT US?’, POPULATION COUNCIL PUBLICATION ‘HUMJINSI: A RESOURCE BOOK ON LESBIAN, GAY & BISEXUAL RIGHTS IN INDIA’, 2ND EDITION ‘MUSLIM PERSONAL LAW AND WOMEN’, AWAAZ-E-NISWAAN SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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‘WE AND OUR FERTILITY: THE POLITICS OF TECHNOLOGIAL INTERVENTION’ PHOTOS PUBLISHED IN: ‘PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING: ESSENTIAL SKILLS’ ‘STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY: ESSENTIAL SKILLS’, FOCAL PRESS, 1999

PROJECTS / ACTIVISM CO-FOUNDER OF “JUGNOO-MEDIA FOR SOCIAL CHANGE”, INITIATIVE TO WIDEN THE REACH OF PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO MEDIAS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, JUNE 2003 PARTICIPATING MEMBER, WOMEN VIDEO LETTERS; A SECOND TEXT ON WAR’- AN INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE OF WOMEN FILMMAKERS, 2002-2004 OPEN CIRCLE ARTIST INITIATIVE, NOV 02-AUG 03 “LEMONGRASS IN THE DREAM HOUSE”, COLLABORATIVE WEB PROJECT WITH TOBARON WAXMAN http://www.artic.edu/~twaxma/Balcony.html, http://www.artic.edu/~twaxma/vestibule.html, 2001

COLLECTIONS PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS IN AUSTRALIA & GERMANY

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SUMATHI

# 16, “Sindhura”, 11th Cross Sadashiva Temple Street M.S.Nagara post, R.S.Palya Banaswadi, Bangalore - 560 033 Ph. 0802715464 9845165143 Email: poorya@indiatimes [email protected]

Education MA (Mass Communication) BA (Journalism, Women Studies, English Literature) Pre-University (Psychology, Sociology, Economics, History)

Passed 1year in 1997 Passed out in the year 1994 Passed out in the year 1991

Work Experience From October 2003, working as a part timer in Samuha an NGO. Working for the radio community programs to generate CDs on different issues like health, general hygiene, menstrual hygiene, films, music etc. Basically writing modules for radio programs. Worked in Sangama from 2002 February to 2003 June. Worked as a documentalist for the first 6 months and later as the Lesbian Bisexual women project co-ordinator. Worked with a Women’s rights organisation “Hengasara Hakkina Sangha” as documentalist and later as Communications assistant co-ordinator from 1999 to 2001. Did journalism internship in Indian Express in 1998 for 2 months. Worked as a Music Critic for the leading English Daily of Bangalore “ Deccan Herald” for a year.

Music Education SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Learnt under Late Pandit. Ramarao Naik for 16 years till his death. Later Learnt under Pandit Yeshwanth Bua Joshi for 2 years in Mumbai. In Bangalore was trained under Pandit D.S.Garud and Smt. Lalit Rao for a year. Started performing Hindustani classical Vocal music from the age of 12. Performed in different cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga, Bidar, Hubli, Kolkatta, Pardi etc. Performed in prestigious festivals like, Savai Gandharva festival at Hubli, Flights of Fantasy Ganjam Nagappa festival at Bangalore, Devanandan Ubhayakar youth festival etc Performed for different music sabhas like Sursagar, Guru Rao Deshpande Punyathithi, Hindustani Sangeeth Kalakaara Mandali, Bangalore Sangeeth Sabha, Indian Institute of World Culture etc

Scholarships Sursagar Scholarship for promoting young promising musicians. Late Pandit K.G.Ginde memorial scholarship Human Resource Development Scholarship - Central government of India Culture department

Creative work Worked with Pandit Ramarao Naik on re-interpreting music for the listeners to reach it to more and more people. We came up with music programs on Malhar prakaar ragas with poetry recitation to explain the images called “Malhar Utsav”, a program on Kalyan prakaar ragas called “Kalyan an Ocean” and a program on Thumri - semiclassical music. Called “Sajda - Thumri festival (this was the last festival of the series where Pt. Ramaraoji participated). Organised a program in memory of Late Pt. Ramarao Naik called as “Smrithi - music through ages” capturing the history of Hindustani classical vocal music and also presented the different styles of Hindustani classical music by the stalwarts of different Gharanas like Dr. Gangubai Hangal, Pt. YeshwanthBua Joshi, Pt. Balasaheb Poochwale, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini and Pt. Panchakshari Swamy Mattigatti.

Music Composing Composed and directed music for the album “GAMINI” produced by the NGO Hengasara Hakkina Sangha. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Composed music for documentary films done by K.P.Sasi, Ashok Maridass, Gopal Menon, G.S.Bhaskar. Composed music for the ad of Stree Shakti a self help group. Conducted a workshop of music and composed music for songs on women’s lives in Malayalam for an NGO in Kerala called Sakhi. Have worked with the eminent theatre person of Karnataka B.Jayashree for her theatre group Spandana. Have composed for the plays directed by her like Manthara, Huvi, Pachche, Karnataka Sampada etc

Articles written My articles have been appearing in different magazines and newspapers on music and on social issues like Manasa patrike, Deccan Herald, Times of India, Agni, Kannada sahitya dotcom etc.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Sessions for the Hijra workshop. Session 1. Childhood and process of transformation.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

One of the first experiences of being different. What was the feeling of being different like? How did you continue being different? Share one experience of being different The process of change and transformation: Intimate experiences Your relation with your body What is your first experience of meeting people similar to you ? Experiences of bonding with people similar to you Experiences of family’s, friends’ and society's reactions.

Session 2. Present Life

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

How did you start looking for life around you after transformation? (Work, love, family, education, skills, jobs, partners etc.) Your relation with your community: how do you place yourself? How do you understand alternate family structure? Phase of violence and discrimination Forms (faces) of violence and discrimination How are you responding to this? Present position in society One pleasant and unpleasant experience of work. Your relations with your partners: love and sex life What is your joy? What is your pain?

Session 3. Views on life “hopes” and future¦

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Detailed description of one ultimate dream. (Utopia) What stops you from realizing this dream? Is the restraint inside you or outside? What are your efforts to realize your inside dreams? What kind of support system would you visualize for yourself and for the community? What would you want to tell the world for it to change? One word/ image/ colour/ anything to symbolize your life What part of your body do you like most? Images for violence/ Faces of violence Instant response to abuse of people One image that sums up your life

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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EXTRACTS OF THE WORKSHOP

EXTRACT OF THE WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop has been conducted by DrFloy and Sumathi in Bangalore. Texts have been generated by the participants in Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam (South Indian languages). Participants were: Anand, Kajol, Sommya, Sanjana, Ravathi, Sneha and Sonu. Translations are from Sumathi. Out of this workshop we generated two songs (Nanbdladé/ Amawatikélé) and various sound extracts, testimonies and poetry for experimental compositions, as well as visual ideas that we later conceptualized and shot with Tejal and Natasha Mendonca during the video workshop. This material has been then integrated in the performance. “This is a city and this is the place where people live. I am speaking as a transgender. I am speaking about transgenders before castration. It is about them that I am speaking here. In this colony people live. They do their work. The moment they come to know about the gender identity they do not let the houses to live. For them they should live separately and be given houses separately. But in the colony there is no separate space to give them. Then they space near dustbins. They make them have their huts around the drains and dustbins and live like rag pickers. Most of these kothis do not work as they do not get work. Since they cannot contact people same as them initially, what they eat is what is put in the dustbin or around it. If children are playing around the place the parents see to it that they don’t go anywhere near these people’s place. For these kothis there won’t be any people. They are just alone on the streets. This is a playground for children. Some of the space is for girls and some space is occupied by boys. If a kothi goes there she is not allowed in either boys or girls spaces. They will abuse and ask what are you, what do you have. Are you 9…. Then kothis think as to who am I? Why am I like this? I first came to know I was a khoja when I was nine years. My parents didn’t like it. They were trying to correct it but I just could not correct my habits. Because my heart knew I was a woman. People at home kept asking me why are you like a khoja? Why do you behave like a khoja? We are getting our daughter married… and if you do not get yourself corrected then the marriage will not happen. They wanted me to go away from my house so that the marriage will not get disturbed. At home was the beginning of the torture for me. I will admit openly, it was people at home who called me as khoja. They abused me saying “what you behave like silk smitha, jayamalini, you dress up like anuradha …. (Silk smitha and jayamalini were anti heroines in the films) why do you wear saris at home? If you want to wear a sari leave home”. When parents spoke like this I felt that I don’t have any one with me, am an orphan and should live like that. For this situation of my life I have a song. I have written some lines and will sing it. “ SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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“So many times I think, people like us khojas should never be born. We khojas have a life of torture. We are not given any jobs. And the only thing we are left with is sex work. Where ever we go we are seen as sex workers. Even if we want to be like any other hetero sexual people don’t consider it. So I pray in god that we should never be in sex work. The god should create only males or females. Not us hijras. “

SNEHA “I am doing social work. I meet a lot of people. People who are part of many struggles. People of caste struggles, hijras, kothis, men, women. I love to work for all their problems. This drawing is about many people in many colours. We are all united and one in this. I would like to sing a song for this. Like all the sparks unite to become fire Like all the ants untie to fetch food Like all the bees unite to collect the nectar Lets all unite and build our movement.”

ANAND “Mother and father did not accept People around did not accept Schools did not give admission Did not get wealth or happiness We have a separate world People in our world live painful lives This is our hijra community In our community We have mothers and sisters We also have daughters. This is our family This is our community. We do not get jobs We do not get support What do we do for our lives? How do we live? We beg We do sex work Day by day we face violence We don’t get houses We cannot reside Everyday we live in the fear of society. We fall in love SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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We give love All our desires become dreams. Goons force us for free sex Police speak to through their lathi Law covers us by booking us in false cases. But we have to exist sir We have to live our lives We also have to think about our hungry stomachs Our efforts are to fill our stomachs Our efforts are to live dignified lives These idiots of society … Why don’t they understand us? Did we demand fruits and milk? Did we demand huge buildings or palaces? Did we demand for gold and silver? Do we stand fighting with you? All that we desire is to live like human beings”

REVATI The eyes that search knows it wants you But you don’t know that Famila, I have to see you once I really don’t see why I should live otherwise To get some thing should you forget / loose another thing? What kind of a life is this? Do I need this life? Does this ever have an end? Life is like a question mark Should I wear a hijra culture auspicious thread (lachcha)? Should I wear an auspicious thread tied by a man (tali)? Should I become a man and live like a man? Should I be a hijra? Should I be a woman? What kind of a life is this?

SNEHA “When I go to see a cinema, there will be a lot of people. In the film when they portray hijra clapping and making fun of them I get terribly scared. What if people come to know that am a hijra, what if they make fun of me and abuse me. It is my experience too. I wouldn’t know that hijras would be portrayed. If I see that I will leave the moment I see it or leave 10 minutes before the cinema is over as I don’t want people to know that am a hijra and get abused. Even when I am SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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walking on the roads and some people abuse me call me 9 or khoja, the first response is to beat up the person. But of course I know that I cannot beat up the person. Because even if I haven’t done anything wrong I won’t get public support in a public fight. After being in the hijra community now I will definitely retaliate by speaking. I will ask what if am nine? Am not asking you to feed me or take care of me nor will I ask you to sponsor my life. What if there was child in your house who would be khoja? Would you have spoken like this? Even we are human beings. I will explain to the person. If the person continues that’s when I will clap my hands and say that yes I am nine what is your problem about it? When a dog is going on the street, if you throw a stone at it only then will it bark and bite you. Similarly if you people will not abuse us we too won’t disturb you people. “

REVATHI “It is very tough for hijras to live. They should either beg or do sex work. They do not have houses. There a lot of problems for them. For this kind of people there is no support. People abuse them. They sometimes will not have enough money to feed themselves. Where they go, police harass them book them under section 377 and also on false charges. They need all kinds of support and facilities. When parents bear children, and come to know that they are hijras they are thrown out of the house. Then these people come out of their houses and then they are care of footpath. Then if they don’t want to do sex work they are forced into sex work by goons who forcibly have unpaid sex. Then there is no means for them to earn. They are forced to choose sex work as their professions. There is lot of such violence in their lives.”

ANAND “In a huge sea Lot of big fishes (like sharks and all that) In that huge sea I am like a small fish with broken wings I cried for help, shouted and screamed I even tried to kill myself. Later I realized it is wrong I struggled and won. Even if this society Considers me as an unwanted flower I kept trying, They insulted me I endured Even if the society rejects me Violates my being` Throws me out I have faith in me To win over these hardships. “

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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IMAGES OF LIFE Revathi: if there are red flowers in a garden and there is a white flower, the red flowers don't accept the white flowers. The white flower pricks itself with its own thorn and bleeds and becomes red, to get accepted. Kajol: I will give the example of candle. When there is darkness we burn a candle for light. Similarly we burn our bodies and we help our people. We do social work in sex work.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SOME PRECISIONS ABOUT HIJRA COMMUNITY

This text is an extract of Human rights violations against the transgender community.

1. Transgender communities’ history: “There is a lack of understanding of transgender people as human being whose lives encompass a complexity which goes beyond the normative correlation between biological sex on the one hand and the gender identity and sexual orientation on the other. A transgender person could be biologically male and often take on the gender identity of the other gender. In some cases, the transgender person might also want to alter the fact of biological maleness/femaleness through a sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

Transgender/ homosexual communities have existed in almost all parts if the world, with their own local identities, customs and rituals. They have been variously known as "Baklas" in Philippines, "Berdaches" among American Indian tribes, "Xaniths" in Omman, "Serrers" in Africa, and "Hijras", "Jogappas", "Jogtas", "Shiva-shakti" in South Asia. The transgender expression of sexuality or gender identity are often hidden or stigmatized by the wider society. Resisting this stigma has been part of the long struggle for survival of the transgender community to live alongside with the society at large. Historically, transgender communities, in most cultures of the world, have attempted to appropriate (with varying degrees of success), rituals, folklore and legends in order to obtain a self-validation and carve out a niche for themselves in the traditional social structures. It is for this reason that their destinies have been inextricably interwoven with the social arrangements and power structures of traditional society. Of course it remains an open question as to what extend do they appropriate existing rituals and to what extend are they unable to escape from the circumscribed roles assigned to them. The hijra community in India has existed with a recorded history of more than 4000 years. Alternately despised and honoured for undergoing castration, they were part of a wellestablished so-called "eunuch" culture in many societies, especially in the middle-east, holding sanctioned positions in the royal court (guarding the concubines where they were preferred to male guards since their sexless status ensured that they wouldn't seduce the women of the harem, taking part in theatrical performances, serving as advisers, and so on). It is important to understand these realities before we begin to consider the sexual non-conformity of the hijras and khotis in the contemporary Indian context. However, mainstream society doesn't acknowledge that transgender people have their histories and traditions rooted in the Indian context. This reality will increasingly have to be taken into account by mainstream society and institutions. In various cultures, transgenders were seen as having special powers due to their assumed "Third sex" dimension, and were allowed to take part in semi-religious ceremonies. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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Often they were tolerated and allowed to live in the role of the other sex, to pursue their occupations (including that of sex-work), live in hammams, cross-dress, and display other forms of transgender behaviour. Nevertheless they were often segregated and excluded from many occupations and community practises, and even traded as slaves.

2. Hijras and kothis: the Indian context. a. The hijra culture: The hijras in India ("hijra" in Arabic means holy, and may have been derived from the Urdu word "Ezra" that means wanderer or nomad) claim a sacred space in the culture due to their third gender status which is called "pingala" in Sanskrit, and invoked as "Shiva-shakti" the image of Shiva as half-male and half-female, representing a god who is ageless, formless and sexless. Like other communities, the hijras trace their origin to the foundational myths in Ramayana and Mahabharata. The episode of Ramayana involving hijras occurs when Rama is banished for 14 years. When he leaves for the forest, he turns around to see a large number of his people following him. Rama appeals to "all the men and women" to return to the city, but the hijras belonging to neither category don't feel bound by his injunction and want to stay with him. Impressed with their devotion, Rama sanctions them the power to confer blessings on auspicious occasion like childbirth, marriage, and inaugural functions -- hence the custom of "badhai", in which hijras sing, dance and confer blessings. Another legend is to be found in Mahabharata involving Aravan, son of Arjuna and Nagakanya, who offered to face Bhishna in battle and be slaughtered since Bhishna had vowed revenge. Aravan had one condition for sacrificing his life: he wanted to spend the last night of his life in a state of matrimony. Since no one offer to marry him, Krishna assumed the female form of Mohini and married him. The hijras in Tamil Nadu are feminine homosexuals who take Aravana as their progenitor and call themselves "Aravanis". In another legend, a king in Gujarat fell madly in love with "Bahucharimatha", a beautiful goddess riding a peacock. The king wanted to marry her, but she wanted to remain a virgin. When he persisted in his entreaties, she relented but asked him to first have a bath in a pound. On coming out of the pound, he was horrified to discover that he was emasculated, and could not consummate his union with the goddess. The goddess consoled him by saying that he would found a community of people who would voluntary castrate themselves in his honor. These and other Hindu legends show that hijras in India had a sanctioned role in Hindu society, especially through the practice of "Badhai". The Badhai culture is more characteristic of North India; hijras in South India are involved in ritual roles as jogappas, jogammas, Shivashaktis and so on. They take part in Karaga procession and various jatras along with men who cross-dress in women for this occasion. Nevertheless, this role is marginal to the life of hijras in South India. Hijras in South India did not have the cultural role that they have in North India, and mainly take up sex-work as a way to earn a living, either by soliciting customers on the streets or by joining hammams. It is a dangerous profession as they are often subjected to contemptuous and violent treatments by customers and the police. Most hijras in India live in groups that are organized into seven houses situated mainly in Hyderabad, Pune and Bombay. Each house is headed by a "nayak" who appoints gurus, spiritual leaders who train their wards ("chelas") in badhai (dancing, singing and blessing), and protect them within and outside the community. It is a system that replicates matriarchy, creating SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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interdependence between the ageing guru and the "chelas" who has been cast out of their families. Disputes among hijras are decided within the community by the nayak and senior gurus acting as law makers and administering punishment such as imposing fines and expulsion from the community. Often there are a host of prohibition and taboos. Thus any person who wishes to become a hijras has to live in "satla" (female attire) in the community for at least a year and observe the rituals and obligations of the community, such as earning money for the running of community life and for the guru. If she is unable to adjust to these requirements of community life, she will not be allowed to go for "nirvan" (castration); "nirvan kothis" are often favoured over those who don't undergo castration ("akwa/ zenana). The ceremony of castration in the hijra community involves both penectomy and orchiectomy (removal of the penis and testicles). Most hijras are biologically born as male although a very small percentage are born hermaphrodite.

b. The "kothi" culture: Kothi is a term that is used in South Asia with local variations. Kothis often see themselves as non-English speaking, with a feminine homosexual identity distinct from the gay/bisexual identity which tends to be the expression of English-speaking homosexual/bisexual males. Kothis largely belongs to non-English speaking lower middle-class and feel their marginalization (due to lack of access to resources/ informations/ employment etc.) in terms of language, education, socio-economic status as well as sexuality. In other words, though a kothi can be described as a male homosexual who takes the feminine role in sex with other men, the kothi construct is not only a sexual/ gender identity but also a socio-cultural one specific to the South Asian context. Due to the societal and family pressure to marry and reproduce, many kothis marry and raise family, and have same-sex relationship outside, often under covert circumstances or in shame. Many other kothis are driven to sex-work due to many complex reasons, including economic necessity and non-acceptance and rejection by the family. Further, kothis are often subject to sexual harassment which makes it impossible for them to continue in the workplace. In terms of their gender identity, kothis are like hijras transgender persons who identify themselves with the feminine gender. However, whereas hijras often settle into a fixed gender role after castration, kothis display a dual gender identity alternating between the masculine role of the husband demanded in the marriage relationship and the feminine role in same-sex relationship outside. This performativity gives the kothis identity a very provisional status which is assumed in different contexts for various purposes by effeminate homosexual men, crossdressers, and hijras who have not undergo castration (also called "akwas" if they are awaiting castration and "janki/ janani if they do not wish to undergo castration). Kothis express heir feminine identity by wearing make-up, women's clothing, cooking, dancing, etc. In sexual health terminology, kothis are often described as playing the passive role in sex and described as preferring to be sexually penetrated by other men called "panthis". Similarly terms such as double-deckers/ do-paratha etc are used to describe those who play both feminine and masculine roles in sex. However ascription of such sexual roles is less important than the selfperception of kothis as expressing a feminine gender identity. There is a symbiotic relationship between kothis and hijras which has been strengthened due to the lack of support systems for kothis in the urban spaces and mofussil towns. This has led kothis to depend upon hijras subcultures for both support and sucour. Hence there is a SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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constant interchange of languages, symbols and mythologies of alternative sexualities/ genders between the hijras and the non-English speaking homosexual subcultures. Yet for a variety of reasons, kothis are one of the most disempowered group in the Indian society. Kothis form loose social-sexual networks located in certain specific environments (public park and other cruising areas) and hence fit for abjection. By contrast, the panthi (the active male partner of both kothis and hijras) is a masculinist identity, and hence is unlikely to be targeted. Kothis are reviled by society, and abusively addressed as "gandhu", "chakka", "khoja", "ombudu" and so on. This often results in lack of self-esteem and self-worth which makes kothis even attempt suicide at some point of their lives. Further, they are discriminated and harassed in the workplaces, in educational institutions, and are trapped in low levels of literacy. They are also very vulnerable to STI/HIV infections and possible infections to their wives since they have multiple sex partners and little access to STI treatments services. However, one cannot pathologize the kothis community in general since many kothis are very strong and see their gender non-conformity as a way of questioning the rigid heterosexist norms. Kothis have been quite effective in organizing protest again police harassment and violence.

3. Marginalisation of Kothis and Hijras: the intersection of class, gender and sexuality. Indian society is deeply stratified along class, caste, religion, language, education (among others), which intersect with sexuality to create deeper oppressions. Although hijras have a sort of sanctionned and visible place in Hindu society (especially in weddings, birth and festivals), in the contempory context, it is the class dimension of the hijras and khotis community that has a major impact on their access to education, employment as well as on the violence they suffer on a daily basis, especially when they choose to make up sex-work. Hijras and kothis we have met in Bangalore, have willingly entered sex work for a variety of reasons. Many of them are in their twenties and are looking for job security and independence. They have moved into sex-work after trying out a number of other jobs. Sex-work becomes necessary in view of the fact that no employers is willing to retain them once their gender identity has become public. Often they have to support their parents and sex-work seems the only viable option. The testimonies indicate that the term sex-work is preferable to the term "prostitution" in recognition of the fact that al the people have made a choice albeit under extremely difficult circumstances. As is clear, kothis and hijras take up sex-work for a variety of reasons. One reason involves the pragmatic consideration of supporting the family. There is also the pride which comes from being able to support the family. Another reason has to do with the selfacceptance of being an hijra and with the related discovery of freedom that living in the hijra community can provide. Many hijras and kothis fiercely asserts that there is nothing disreputable about being a sex worker and it is as legitimate a piece of work as any other. However it needs to be noted that the choice available to the hijra community function within certain structural constraints of class and sexuality, for it is highly unlikely that a hijra, for instance, can become a CEO of a company, get a government job, or work as a lawyer or a SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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doctor. There are very few places, at least in south India, where hijras con find employment and are treated with dignity. Further, in the case of the hijras community, class (which in some cases permits movement) is a permanent feature that functions like caste, not permitting any upward mobility. Sex work and begging remain the only available occupational choices for the hijra community. Thus gender/sexual non conformity combined with the societal perception of hijras limits the kind of choice hijras are allowed to make. Discrimination on the basis of class, gender, and sexuality not only limits the choice of profession and the possibility of economic advancement but also impedes access to education and information about lifestyle and the rights choices of sexuality minorities. Thus most of the informations on sexuality, lifestyle and the rights discourse on sexuality minorities is available only in English, putting it out of reach for hijras and kothis, many of whom don't know how to read and write.

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI CREDITS

“Sakhi Ri”, A project conceived by DrFloy In collaboration with Sumathi (music-vocal and composition) Tejal Shah (video art) India, 2005 SOUND-MUSIC: DrFloy: Concept, electronics, Bass, research and composition Sumathi: Classical vocal , research and composition Mireille Faure & Anita Kushwaha: Sound Engineers VIDEO-VISUAL ARTS: Tejal shah CAMERA: Tejal Shah, Natasha Mendonca ADDITIONAL CAMERA: DrFloy, Famila VIDEO ART and EDITING: Tejal Shah , Natasha Mendonca PHOTOGRAPHY: Tejal Shah, DrFloy WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS: Anand, Kajol, Revathi, Sanjana, Sneha, Sunil, Sommya, Sonu TEXTS and POETRY: Kajol, Revathi, Saraswati, Sneha, Sommya, Sumathi, Sunil + Amir Khusrau, Rabia, PERFORMANCE: Anand, Revathi, Sanjana, Sneha, Sonu, Sommya, Sunil, Additional featuring: Dimple, Famila, Robert, Suma, Vinay FEATURING ARTISTS: Anuradha Pal, Gail Hart, Ramakrishna RESEARCH: DrFloy, Sumathi TRANSLATION: Sumathi, Vinaya PRODUCTION: Soluble dans l air (Paris) SUPPORT and PARTNERS : Services culturels -French embassy in India, programme “Artistes en residence”, Jerome Neutres, Alliances française de Bangalore, Puna et Bombay , LSD Madrid, Ser Positivas, Suresh Jarayanam-Studio , Babu , Nandu, , Studio Music Mint, Dharani Trust. SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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SAKHI RI PARTNERS and NATURE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION

FRANCE/LE CRI DU SILENCE : Un studio mobile d’expérience sonore destiné aux artistes féminins mis à disposition pour le projet pour prises de sons, travail de création et live électronique. (Macintosh power book G4 + carte son motu + table de mixage Mackie+ interface MIDI MT4) Contact : [email protected] cf. dossier joint

SOLUBLE DANS L’AIR : (Association loi 1901) : Evénementiel et promotion des musiques de femmes basé en France, partenaire financier de la production.

FRANCE en INDE/SERVICE CULTUREL FRANCAIS EN INDE : Soutien à la résidence de création et à la tournée en Inde. Partenaires logistiques et financiers.

ALLIANCES FRANCAISES en INDE (Bangalore, Poona, Bombay) : Aide logistique: lieux de répétition Réseau de salles et auditorium Promotion Contact : Yann Minois (Puna), Eric Rousseau (Bangalore), Marie Lagrave (Bombay)

STUDIO Music Mint/ (Bangalore) : Enregistrement et technicien du son. Contact: Suchitra Lata [email protected]

GARDEN OF EDEN / POONA: Espace culturel Organisation d’un concert à Poona / – rencontre événement Poona avec les artistes + Promotion Contact : Hassan [email protected]

PARADISO / BOMBAY : Organisation d’un événement à Bombay Promotion -Radio - Label Contact: Asad Zaidi [email protected] SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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MIRA SAVARA : consultante Contact Presse - Promotion et recherche d’un partenaire indien, d’un label ou d’un éditeur sur le territoire indien pour le disque à sortir. [email protected]

VIVIDHA Bangalore: Ecriture de textes et performances [email protected]

SAKHI RI CONTACT : DrFloy : [email protected] Marie : [email protected] Project presented by the Organisation: “Soluble dans l’air” (Paris)

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