ELEMENTS PRODUCTION SERVICES presents the project ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’ by Aaryan Sinha about the relationship between photography and colonialism
Indian production company ELEMENTS has just presented its services, ranging from commercials to photo shoots, at UPDATE Berlin and is the go-to address when its comes to productions in India and the far reaches of Asia.
To Europe, ELEMENTS also has a very special relationship, as a son of the family is studying photography in the Netherlands. Here on GoSee, ELEMENTS presents ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’ by Aaryan Sinha. The work has been exhibited in Luma Arles with House of Dior, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Melkweg Amsterdam, and is now on display at Foam Amsterdam as part of Foam Talent.
At the heart of the project is Aaryan’s attempt to depict a version of India that is truer to his experience, one of similarity and connection, instead of division and opposition. Through this, his project also exposes the relationship between photography and colonialism – aiming to revoke the stereotypical perception of a poor, overpopulated nation held by many in the West.
Aaryan Sinha : “This project, entitled ‘This Isn’t Divide and Conquer’, is rooted in my family history and branches out into a journey across the five states of India that share a border with Pakistan. Through photography, I attempt to understand how historical events have played a part in shaping the Indian landscape and the ever-changing identity of its people.
The title of the project has historical connotations. Divide and conquer is a strategy of the British that pitted religious groups against one another. The hope of employing it was that Indians would be busy fighting among one another and not the rule of the British Crown. It was a tactic that led to one of the largest forced migrations ever; 14 million people were displaced, and over 1 million were killed. A moment that defined generations – leading to four India-Pakistan wars. Countless other lives were to be lost and a deep rooted sense of hatred would exist between these two nations. 76 years later, the same tactic is being employed once again by India’s right-wing government. As they have successfully managed to polarize different communities based on religious differences and have gained a stronghold on the homeland of 1.4 billion people.
The majority of families in North India have their own story to tell about the partition. The project aims to act as a vessel for them to share these very stories. The border is what separates us; it is where history is embedded. A history that defines the identity of where I come from, my homeland, the land in which I lost my grandfather. Cities, villages, and families were separated by the lines so hastily drawn by the British. My grandfather, on my father’s side, was a member of the Indian Armed Forces, the road to which was from the Indian Military College, formerly named the Royal Indian Military College, where he ate, drank, and was raised alongside Pakistani Army Officials. However, after 1947, they would face one another in four wars – while both grandparents on my mother’s side migrated to India in 1947.
In a time of political division, with the ensuing polarization of the population, the project focuses on similarities instead of differences. It is aimed at providing a platform for reflection and dialogue.”
GoSee : gotoelements.com
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