We were pleased to host the first session of The Observatory, a series of programs in conversation with practitioners on artistic process.

Performance and theatre artist Lapdiang A Syiem presented on her project Pahsyntiew, that takes shape as a living statue, a performance and an in-progress film, the latter also supported by the Shared Ecologies Confluence Grant. Taking the script of the performance, Lapdiang conducted a reading, opening up the space of retelling of the story of a demi-goddess, through a feminist and ecological lens. Pahsyntiew, the demi-godess comes to be made of granite in Pahsyntiew’s retelling of the Khasi story that acts as a link between the past and present through its connection to the ecology of Meghalaya and the granite caves that remain preserved but at risk. The text opened up the possibility of fixing and unfixing a narrative, and the conversation took many directions, leading to a reading of Lapdiang’s performance.

We’ll be hosting more sessions as part of The Observatory this year, so do keep an eye out!