Archana Hande
Weaving Light
2021–2023
Jacquard punch cards (plastic/cardboard), paper, thread, found objects, lights and 2 videos
Dimensions variable, 3 minutes each Credits: Vinayak S. Katenahalli; Bharath Laddiyavar; Santosh Pattar; Mahak Sethia; 1 Shanthiroad; Malavika P. C.; Suresh Jayaram; Ashok Vish; Ravi Aradhya; Madhusree Dutta; Ravi-Kiran; Emsys Electronics; and Kumar,
R Ramesh, Jayram and Rudresh (jacquard weavers)
Courtesy of the artist and Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai
All is Fair in Magic White
2008–2011
14 painted block prints and animated film
76.2 x 91 cm each, 10 minutes
Credits: Abeer Gupta and Archana Hande (editors), Boby John (sound designer), Sarat Nayak (animator), Deenbandhu Adak,
Sitaram Adak and Asit Chakraborty (block cutters), Tarak Das (block printer) and Majlis, Mumbai (video editing facilities)
Produced at Kanishka’s Kolkata workshop
Courtesy of the artist and Experimenter Kolkata
Archana Hande reflects on the nuances of growing up in the shadow of colonialism in India and the reproduction of power through industrialisation. Her mixed-media work, Weaving Light (2021–2023) examines transformations of labour, materiality and technology within Bengaluru’s textile industry and consists of a film about textile workshops, a collection of found objects from jacquard factories and a set of research materials compiled by the artist. The mixed-media installation All is Fair in Magic White (2008–2011) is a satirical portrait of Mumbai, centring on the hierarchies of race, class and gender that define the city’s desire to morph into a global megalopolis.