Ali Akbar P N is a contemporary artist whose thematic preoccupations traverse the delicate terrain of memory, myth, mobility, and heritage. He employs a sophisticated blend of archival research, site-specific study, and scholarly inquiry in his practice. ‘The Salts of Many Seas’ is an introduction to his recent and ongoing work. Imagined as a study lab or museum room consisting of objects, maps, and archives, the exhibition showcases his paintings, digital prints, sculptures, a book, and a video.
Ali Akbar’s artistic practice and worldview are profoundly intertwined with the maritime domain, emblematic of his upbringing in a coastal village on the periphery of the venerable port city of Muziris. The sea is a salient motif of his work, not only resonating as a geographical entity but also as an ideological choice that permeates the socio-cultural and politico-economic substrata of his formative milieu. Rooted in the coastal ethos of Kerala, the sea assumes multifarious roles, serving as both a locus of communal interaction and a reservoir of cultural heritage. Paradoxically, within the prevailing hegemonic cultural framework, the sea assumes an ambivalent status, simultaneously present in lived experience yet conspicuously absent in the dominant discourse. This dialectical tension between the sea’s pervasive influence on local socio-cultural dynamics and its marginalization within the broader cultural paradigms underscores Ali Akbar’s work, which critiques the ‘blind spots’ and ‘amnesia’ in cultural representation and erasure inherent within the broader societal constructs. The histories of the coasts, maritime expeditions, and transoceanic migrations are neglected in scholarly discourse in comparison to the voluminous literature produced on the ‘mainland’ particularly centered around the dominant communities. But, ironically, it has been the interactions across the oceans that have wielded substantial influence over the region. These maritime engagements were significant in enhancing the social mobility of some communities in Kerala. Yet, the sea is radically absent in the collective cultural imagination of Kerala. This thematic absence serves as the fundamental premise and ideological orientation for Akbar’s artistic practice. There is a ‘maritime vision’ in his work, as Dilip M. Menon suggests, the dominant historiographies, with its ‘terrestrial imagination’ see the ocean as the margin of thought. A deeper understanding of the movement of people, culture, and ideas would require a maritime vision (Menon, 2022).
Initially, his works were centered around the ideas of marginality, the psycho-social experience of isolation, social anxiety, and alienation. However, his relocation from Kerala to Baroda made a significant thematic and methodological transformation in his practice. He started engaging with the north and north-western regions and their social spheres on a deeper level. The indelible traumas of violence, the hindsight of riots, and the omnipresent specter of social disquiet are persistent thoughts in his work. Living in a time of social erosion and the perpetual imbalance of peace, Akbar adopted a strategic shift in his approach and methodology. A central impetus driving his broader artistic pursuits is the radical reclamation of secular and plural spaces embracing their syncretic elements. The strategic adoption of the representational approach advocating the reintegration of diverse elements is a means of social resistance and healing.
People, animals, and architecture are some of the recurring subjects in his work, signifying a temporal continuity; emblematic of social dynamics, cultural assimilation, and syncretic heritage. The dramatic depictions of people against various premises capture the diverse human experiences, cultural synthesis, and changes in social dynamics over time. Animals, often imbued with ulterior symbolic motives are used to convey power, dominance, and colonization. The striking depiction of these motifs serves as narrative vessels that convey the power dynamics and political reconfiguration projects across the history of human civilization. The lion, a predominant symbolic presence across cultures is scrutinized as a symbol of imperial authority and colonization. The ubiquitous lion figures depicted in ‘Relics 2’, draw parallels from some of the symbolic acts of debunking iconographies as part of decolonization and anti-apartheid movements across the globe. However, works like, ‘Chonakakkuthira-II’, the term denoting imported supreme quality horses for martial and mercantile purposes, manifest a certain kind of progressive incorporation and politico-economic movement. These images of disparate symbols and figures carrying many layers of the past create a trans-temporal sensibility, presenting a familiar yet unseen geographical space that straddles mythological constructs and historical reality. By leveraging symbols and crafting imaginary narratives, these works challenge the entrenched power structures and emphasize the necessity of a comprehensive archival record that integrates the local and ‘vernacular’ historical narratives. Architecture, meanwhile, serves as a testament to the physical and cultural landscapes that shape and are shaped by human experience and interaction, embodying the confluence of cultural and political influences and contemporary realities. Through the integration of these elements, his work encapsulates the ongoing process of cultural synthesis and the depletions in it.
Ali Akbar's visual language is characterized by a striking blend of images of various temporal identities. Often with blurry and erratic strokes and seemingly flaky, torn, and decimated surfaces, his paintings invoke a sense of archival photographs and paintings. This visual style creates an effect that enhances a broader engagement with the paintings and the subjects depicted in them. The digital prints and videos, with the non-linear narrative and the compulsive juxtapositions of temporally disparate subjects, create a theatre of spectacular and ambiguous scenarios and events from the past. They create an ambivalent effect, invoking a critical inquiry into the dominant archival paradigms and challenging notions of truth, agency, and archival privilege. The sculptures often are reminiscent of religious and cultural relics and symbolic structures that historically catalyzed building narratives and were instrumental in establishing religious and political establishments. These symbols are often used to strengthen the existing narratives as well as to cancel the regressive social constructs and build the progressive identities of the present times. With this style of using images of disparate identities, Ali Akbar critiques how histories and memories are constructed and perceived. They engage with the complexities of time, memory, culture, and identities that shape our understanding of the world.
Sayanth R S
References
Menon, Dilip M, 2022, Oceanic Histories: from the terrestrial to Maritime, Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge.
