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Think Tibet: Phayul/Meyul
Submitted by One Shanthi Road Studio/Gallery

1 Aims / Objective / Goals of project
The Tibetan people have been living in India for half a century now. In the south, their settlements have been on the fringes of the local communities, quiet, unobtrusive and remarkably self-sufficient. As a people, they are deeply spiritual, committed to following the Buddhist way of the middle path, one that is advocated strongly by their own spiritual head, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As a community in exile, their yearning to return home to the mountains runs deeply. But living in the plains of south India, their voices, like their prayers, are just thrown to the winds to be carried forth.

Our objective is to showcase life in exile via a mixed-media multi-sensory exhibition in a gallery space.

2 Brief description of project
Phayul is the Tibetan word for homeland and Mayul means that which is not home.

The idea for a mixed media exhibition came from two factors – that Tibetans in exile have managed the supremely difficult task of retaining their cultural identity through the generations born and raised in India; and the struggle for freedom continues even among the generation born and raised so far away from their homeland.

Going beyond images and words, the three-dimensional perspective will allow one to touch, feel and smell the reality of such an existence. Here, the colours of the thangka will make their way to the sweaters sold by the same people, a poet’s angry words will speak for the old Tibetan waiting to return home and the monk’s prayers are interrupted by his shouts for freedom for his people.

The more obvious aspects of Tibetan life in exile such as prayers, occupations, food, games are layered against the deeper issues of struggle for freedom, the isolation of a community in a “camp”(as the settlement addresses go), and the sense of waiting that has dominated the last 50 years.

The exhibition will take place in a gallery (1 Shanthi Road).

3 Methodology / Implementation of project
The project is in collaboration with a young group, Think Tibet comprising Tibetans and Indians who are interested in raising awareness of the Tibetan issue. We will work together in bringing out the aspects of Tibetan life, via documentary screenings, posters of the yearly protests, ritual knots, Tibetan incense, folk tales and poetry.

One of the artists, Shantamani, is creating text on handmade paper that will also be set in relief, going with the theme. The text is derived from interviews with Tibetans in exile and will reflect individual opinions. This is especially significant since the focus typically tends to be on the broader issues of governance and the freedom struggle and not on individual ambitions, dreams or opinion.

4 Time frame of project
Two months since some work has already begun on the exhibition and the first half of this year is better suited for the programme as the Tibetan government in exile and various support groups have also planned for events after March.

5 Projected output of project (is it a workshop, a discussion, a showing etc.)
We plan to have an exhibition at 1 Shanthi Road.

6 Who is your target audience for your project?
Tibetans in exile, the artist community and local people. We hope this will be a forum for communication between the local people and the Tibetans in exile.


7 How do you propose to disseminate information about the project to your target audience?
Press releases, email notifications, posters across the city.

8 How do you think your project will create impact on the art communities/the cultures that you want to engage with? How will it develop the field of your art form?
Despite the fact that the earliest and largest Tibetan settlement in exile is 5 hours away from Bangalore city, there is little acknowledgement of the fact that this is a community in exile. One sees the outer trappings of a culture that is unique within the Indian milieu but only a few scratch the surface and question why these mountain people are living so far down in the plains of south India. An exhibition such as the one we have planned aims to offer more than a cultural introduction. We would like to draw the audience close enough to smell history and hear the protests of young Tibetan activists. We would like them to see the beauty of the ritualistic traditions and touch that which is transient and will be rubbed off by the end of the day. We would like our visitors to understand the wisdom of the endless knots that offer a momentary glimpse into what keeps the community going despite the years.