The Seed Sprout Dreams exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram is a fragmented homage to cinema in South Asia

Explore the Seed Sprout Dreams exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram, celebrating South Asian cinema's grassroots history and artistic expressions.

The interiors of Neighbour Gallery at Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram evoke an image of an ancestral home, partitioned into several sections, where each family member has left something of their own to ponder over. Toppled chairs, scattered passport-sized photographs, colourful frocks hung on a panel, and an unmade bed to lie down and watch the exhibit — all remind you of a presence preceding your arrival. A sombre soundtrack, intertwined with Bollywood dialogues and narrations from exhibits, further mystifies the space.

The Seed Sprout Dreams exhibition setting, inspired by the Sunday Market flea market in Bengaluru, celebrates the “history of cinema as a scattered art form,” while paying tribute to grassroots-level stakeholders who participate in cinematic infrastructures such as distribution and conservation. The exhibition is organised by the collective Kadukkas and is curated by filmmakers Anuj Malhotra, Ketan Dua and Mahesh S, with Laxmipriya SN heading the production.

Scenes from The Seed Sprouts Dreams exhibition | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The exhibition explores informal archives by people themselves, identifying their own definitions of taste without adhering to Western standards of what is acceptable or not, while touching on subjects such as piracy.

Anuj says, “We began the project by looking at how film culture and history were written in the context of India, and the rest of South Asia. The exhibition pays homage to film infrastructure across South Asia. There are also outdoor film screenings and makeshift cinemas made by people themselves. This project, in a way, tries to bring these ideas together of how cinema history does not need to be a clear line of events.”

It has six exhibits placed close to one another. The videos are projected on media, such as textured clothes and monitors.