Devadeep Gupta
Absent River



Devadeep Gupta
B. 1989
Guwahati, Assam, India
My process develops as an investigation on regional ecological uncertainties by questioning associated mainstream perspectives. I explore nuances of the relationship between people and their land through performative actions inspired by site-specific, vernacular occurrences. Realised as film and sculpture, my practice lies in the intersectionality of conceptual and documentary. My interest and focus lie on narratives lying in the conjucture of mythology and contemporary. Pragmatic practices, oral traditions and folklore in the Assamese culture-scape remain close to my practice.
Performative processes inspired by vernacular, meta-cultural practices have remained central to the intellectual forms of my works. Stimulated via visual, conceptual provocations, I employ aspects of performative actions inspired by local community-led actions, to reflect environmental changes in specificity to the site. Everyday rituals that have evolved vernacularly as meta-cultural actions inspired the forms of my work. The outtakes of my process, realized as rhythmic sculptural forms are expressed through mediums of film, image and sculpture to illustrate these outcomes.
Apart from my personal art-making, I am a part of the artist collective - Northeast Lightbox, that facilitates exchange between regional archives and regional contemporary practices. We aim to engage regional archives as a medium for contemporary discourse. The collective aims to cultivate new audiences through exhibitions, workshops and residencies.
Currently based in Guwahati, India
vevaveev@gmail.com
Education
2007 - 2011
Bachelor of Architecture, SMVDU Jammu, India
2017 - 2019
Master of Fine Arts, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany
Selected Exhibitions
2022
Beyond Migration - Guwahati - Kolkata forum; Goethe Institute| Kolkata, India
Emami Art Experimental Film Festival; Emami Art | Kolkata, India
Things of State Unstable; Simultan Festival, Romania
2021
Hong Kong International Photo Festival; Hong Kong
Fields of Vision | VAICA, India
Normalizing Disasters; Sudden Beams, United Kingdom
Ostrale Biennale for Contemporary Art, Dresden, Germany
2020
2019
Chronicles of an Inferno; Egaro Photo Festival, Agartala, India
Climate, Changed; Nottingham Arts Mela, Nottingham, England
Ich sehe was Du nichst siehst! ; ACC Galerie, Weimar, Germany
MANIFESTO ; New Bauhaus Museum, Weimar, Germany
Imaginary Bauhaus Museum ; Schiller Museum, Weimar, Germany
2018
Where Do You Go When You Leave ; Maati Centre, Guwahati, India
Kunst im Dialogue ; Stichting White Cube, Landshut, Germany
2017
3rd Berliner Herbstsalon ; Maxim Gorki Theatre, Berlin, Germany
DISPLA(Y)CED ; Gallerie Alte Feuerwache Loschwitz, Dresden, Germany
6ix ; Assam State Museum, Guwahati, India
Grants and Commissions
2021
2020
2020
INLAKS Take off Grant, 2021
Bauhaus Annual Fine Arts Scholarship
Normalization of a Disaster, Video Work Commission, Abr Circle, Delhi, India
Residencies
2019
Northeast Lightbox Residency, Majuli, India