About

Devadeep Gupta’s practice assembles anecdotal and rebellious ruptures in the everyday, circadian meta-cultural actions, and excavations from archives that are active sites which reiterate their agency in the contemporary. In this project, his process lends itself to portray symbiosis and dialoguing among communities, ecological actors, the petrochemical-industrial-capitalist complex, and transcendent co-existences.

The complicated entanglement between colonial extraction and apathy, and neo-colonial circuits that perpetuate ecological ruin of an erstwhile lush region that encompasses the Dehing Patkai Rainforest and Soraipung village, has entrenched itself into the quotidian experiences and rhythms of human and more than human existences that are the originary inhabitants of the land. Amidst unspeakable tolls on mortality and well-being, there are fleeting instances of reparative escape synthesised into the tangible affects of operative violence that offer themselves to us when we turn our attention skywards, to the congregating birds whose calls will no longer remain if historical oppression of the land and its inhabitants continues into futurity.

The project is a co-commission between Prameya Art Foundation and India Art Fair as part of Discover 8, an ongoing programme that supports the production of research-based, experimental work by emerging creative practitioners.

About the Artists

Devadeep Gupta’s practice engages with ruptures in everyday life, offering a rebellious exploration of societal rhythms and archival excavations. His work delves into the complexities of colonial extraction, contemporary ecological exploitation, and the ongoing violence experienced by both human and non-human entities, particularly in regions like the Dehing Patkai Rainforest and Soraipung village. By exploring the delicate balance between exploitation and repair, his practice draws attention to the intertwined fates of the land and its inhabitants, highlighting moments of fleeting, reparative escape.

Gupta’s exhibitions include prominent shows like the 2024 DYSTOPIA Sound Biennale in Berlin, the Critical Zones at Rencontres Internationales, and the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. Past exhibitions include Beyond Migration at the Goethe Institute in Kolkata and Unstable State of Things at the Simultan Festival in Timisoara, showcasing his work's international reach and thematic resonance.