In a city with such a large South Asian population, it’s perhaps unsurprising that many groups exist in Toronto to celebrate the diversity and culture of the South Asian diaspora. The South Asian Visual Arts Collective (SAVAC), defines “South Asians” as “people who can trace their ancestry back to the countries of the Indian subcontinent: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.” But they also recognize that being South Asian means much more than simple genealogy.
To define oneself as South Asian is in itself a difficult task, raising the questions: “What is South Asian?” or “What makes me South Asian?” Perhaps there can never truly be a definitive answer-only more questions. SAVAC allows local South Asian visual artists to raise questions of identity and race by providing them with opportunities to express those concerns through contemporary artforms.
A non-profit organization that focuses on presenting new works by artists of South Asian origin in an unrestricted environment, SAVAC doesn’t have a permanent gallery space because its main goal is to integrate South Asian artists into the mainstream Canadian arts sector while ensuring they aren’t segregated by labels that might limit their exposure.
The collective was originally formed in 1993 by a group of South Asian artists who were determined to start their own initiative to exhibit their work and promote fellow artists. Despite increased membership and funding from all levels of government, SAVAC still remains a completely artist-run venture. Over 100 members, both local and international, play an integral role in developing programs, volunteering, and brainstorming ideas to further the cause of SAVAC.
“”Our aim is to present opportunities for artists of South Asian origin which challenge preconceived notions of South Asian art and resist racist stereotypes. The main challenge is the small number of South Asian artists. While we work to sustain their artistic development, there are still relatively few artists from our community engaged in contemporary art practice,” explains SAVAC’s director, Rachel Kalpana James.
Despite the fact that SAVAC focuses on South Asian art, membership comprises artists of both South Asian and non-South Asian descent. The purpose is to ultimately break down barriers of race and stereotypical views of South Asians by presenting work that is unique, provocative, and innovative.
Garden of My Labyrinths, a solo exhibit by Taha Ahmed Yasin, is a prime example. A refreshingly different approach to the concept of corporate culture, Yasin’s collection of drawings focuses on his experiences in the city of Islamabad, Pakistan.
“Labyrinths is a series of drawings based on my personal experiences in a city of corporate culture,” Yasin says.
“I was practising as an architect, working on one of the biggest amusement park projects in South Asia, the Capital Park Islamabad, at a time when the country’s political landscape was in turmoil. In 1999, after working on this project for a year, the designs were all completed and the project was ready to be constructed. In October, the country was taken over by the military regime. Within days, all the investors of the project were nowhere to be found. The city, the faces, and the environment started to change in front of me. As a response, I began these drawings, which were very spontaneous and an expression of what I was going through, what I felt, and how I was seeing the city and the society fold and unfold,” he notes.
The display is part of the Art in the Workplace Project, a project SAVAC curated for the Ministry of Canadian Heritage. Due to the fact that the exhibit is smack-dab in the middle of a government office, it is generally closed to the public, but one can make a private appointment to see it (416-973-4038; ask for Valerie Pagnotta).
Anyone who has been to a South Asian wedding knows that it is no simple affair. Days upon days of too much food, dancing, and ‘aunties’ attempting to hook up their daughters can be exhausting. Rashmi Varma, a talented designer, curator, and artist, celebrates South Asian weddings and examines the concept of the reality TV craze by literally marrying reality with art. Her project, Arrange My Marriage, is a performance piece that will create a wedding ceremony for a real couple who will actually get married.
“It’s both a critique and celebration of the wedding spectacle in South Asian culture and reality-based television shows,” explains Kalpana James.
If you’ve been thinking about asking your significant other to tie the knot, well, stop dawdling and do it in style by applying to be a part of this unique project. The ‘art wedding’ is scheduled for August 2006 (go to the SAVAC website to apply before it’s too late).
SAVAC doesn’t simply focus on exhibiting art, but rather on expanding the concept of art and artistic expression by holding lecture series, workshops, panel discussions, and various other initiatives to encourage dialogue about South Asian art and aspects of that cultural identity. After all, what’s the point of looking at art if you don’t seek to understand it?
For more about future SAVAC events, see savac.net.
