Binary States, Kochi Biennale 2016

Ammar Al Attar Photo-documentation - Reverse Moments

Delving into an exploration of Prem Ratnam’s photo archives, this project revolves around a documentation process whereby Ratnam’s lifelong practice in the UAE is revived through the reproduction of his archive. Through the use of a camera copy stand and film development techniques, Prem’s prints, documents and objects will be documented and exhibited.

Vikram Divecha Film - Veedu

Veedu means house in Malayalam. For the strong community from Kerala living and working in the UAE, building a house back in their native place holds strong importance. It is often one of the largest investments they make in their lifetime. These houses take many shapes, and are, at times influenced by architecture from the Gulf. So, besides the traditional house, such as the Nalukettu, one is also witnessing a contemporary aesthetic surfacing in the state of Kerala. The remittances that are directed towards these houses in Kerala take many forms, - from aesthetics to arbab-ness, from longing to pride, and the many individual nuances that emerge from years of living abroad. Following the design process of houses to be built in Kerala, this project will be shaped by the exchanges between UAE based clients and a Kerala based architectural design and construction firm. Conversations and recordings in Malayalam, and Auto-Cad screen videos will bring this film to life. The making of this project will work as an exchange between UAE and Kerala.
The film will accumulate in increments over time at the exhibition site, as the house plan comes to shape.