Anything can happen in the presence of the black divine!

In a world ruled by powerful white men who decide the time and place for both war and peace, it is perhaps only our homes that are our final defenses. A space where we can hope to find respite from our struggles with the world... Where we try to keep our black gods alive in whatever shape and form they exist for us...

Housing the Black Divine invites you into the homes, hearts and art of Arjun Raina, Monica Singh and Ashim Ghosh. Three creative artists/performers who will recast the Nature Morte Art Gallery of New Delhi, into a space of labour and love. For three entire workdays, from 11am to 9pm, they present classical dance, theatre, story telling, films, photo exhibits, video installations and multi-channel soundscapes. Arjun, Monica and Ashim use decades of skill and craft to share these three days, fully, beautifully and magically… With Ashish Paliwal, the official house guide always at hand to assist, they welcome each one of you, their audience, as their very precious guests, into this very special space. This, their House of the Black Divine....

Artist Profiles

Arjun Raina
www.arjunraina.com
Arjun Raina is an internationally recognised and celebrated performer. He trained at LAMDA in 1987 followed by a decade of Kathakali apprenticeship to Guru Sadanam Balakrishnan. He taught Voice and Acting at the National School of Drama, Delhi for several years. Now in 2005, Arjun has performed for 20 years, in over 100 theatrical productions and films in both Hindi and English, in India and abroad. His experiments with Kathakali and Theatre in other languages, have received much acclaim.

Monica Singh
Monica Singh has trained extensively in Indian Classical Dance from the age of six. A Visharad in Odissi from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi, Monica initially trained in Bharatnatyam under Smt. Sonal Mansingh and Guru Nana Kasar for a span of twelve years. In 1990 she became a student of Padamshri Smt. Madhavi Mudgal, and also attended several Odissi workshops conducted by doyen of Odissi Dance, Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. A recipient of scholarships from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Sahitya Kala Parishad, Monica has conducted workshops on Indian classical dance and teaching Odissi at various schools in Delhi. She has now started 'Sohamasmi Art and Healing Centre' in Gurgaon, where students are trained in various classical arts. Monica has performed on various cultural platforms, across India and abroad.

Ashim Ghosh
...an exciting creator of experimental works, an audiovisionary... of national and international representation. Ashim Ghosh intervenes on a range of fronts, from top end corporate communications & training, to activism using photography, video, music and multi-channel soundscape design. He has exhibited and performed widely as a multiple media artist, in and out of India, for over 20 years.

Performance & Installation Schedule

DAY 1 : Friday, 12th August 2005
11:00am     Altar : entrance lobby installation dedicated to the Black Divine
                    Media Work : a multiple media installation
11:30am     A Terrible Beauty is born : play on international call centers
12:30pm     Bird on a Wire : installation - Free Leonard Peltier
                    Apna Ghar : video installation - insights into living in a middle-class flat in
                    Delhi
                    Shabdkoshish : photo installation - the right to read and write
                    Odissi Rehearsal with musicians
1:30 - 2:30pm     Lunch
3:00pm       Kathakali Class : abhinaya
                    The Black Divine Wall : photo installation and multichannel soundscape
                    The I/O Project : installation - food and toilets
4:30pm       Guddu Khadu : story telling
5:30pm        Brihanala ki Khelkali and Saanjh : video screening
6:30pm      The Missing Ling : live music and imagery, sharing perspectives on
                    masculinity
8:00 - 9:00pm      The Black Divine Reception

DAY 2 : Saturday, 13th August 2005
11:00am   switch on all installations
                    Kathakali and Odissi:make up and costume
12:00pm     The Magic Hour : Khelkali, Odissi and Shakespeare
1:30 - 2:30pm     Lunch
3:00pm       Kathakali Class
5:00pm       solo Flute Recital
                    Odissi:make up
6:30pm       Prothom Maa : story telling
7:30pm       Odissi : dance recital

DAY 3 : Sunday, 14th August 2005
6:00am       Odissi : show rehearsal at sunrise
11:00am      switch on all installations
                    The Lying Swans : presentation of images
11:30am     Reading of The Lying Swans : an original work about a Russian
                    prostitute working in Gurgaon
12:30pm     The Missing Ling : live music & imagery, sharing perspectives on
                    masculinity
1:30 - 2:30pm Lunch
2:30pm      Odissi Class : with students from the Sohamasmi Art and Healing Centre
                    i HEAR you!:workshop on "Listening to cope with our contemporary
                    existence"
3:30pm      Kathakali and Odissi : make up and costume
6:00pm      Live music duo
7.00pm      Bakkhai : an indianised remixed version of a Greek tragedy.
8.00pm - 9:00pm     The Black Divine Closing