Decomposing Landscape

Buddhaditya Chattopadhyay / India

University of Leiden

budhaditya.org

We have arguably entered the Anthropocene epoch, a new geological era defined by unprecedented man-made disturbances over earth's ecologies and cultural heritages. In this era, the ecological integrity as well as traditional cultures and heritage of bucolic landscapes in the emerging economies like India are endangered due to governmental pressure for rapid growth in technological infrastructure and industrial development. In this context, multi-channel sound composition Decomposing Landscape as part of a sound and video installation is developed through extensive field recordings made at specific sites now considered Special Economic Zones, situated in the eastern part of India. The work creates a discursive auditory situation to facilitate a contemplative observation of such transitive landscapes. The work intends to delineate the transition of India from a pastoral past gearing fast towards the contemporary urban, rendered within a mode of questioning. The large-scale media art project aims to practice digital technology to mediate engendered sites in contemporary art and helps disseminate cultural values to trigger public awareness. The project not only intends to foster the capacity to preserve heritage, but also records cultural transformation of conflict- ridden sites and landscapes for public intervention and artistic transformation to address the possibility of achieving reconciliation and peace.