Reena Saini KALLAT Indian, b. 1973
Ruled Paper (red, blue, white), 2022
Electric wire on deckle – edge handmade paper
109 x 79 cm
Ruled Paper (red, blue, white) are reminiscent of four-lined page notebooks used in schools to practice learning to write. While the straight lines provide a framework, they also convey an...
Ruled Paper (red, blue, white) are reminiscent of four-lined page notebooks used in schools to practice learning to write. While the straight lines provide a framework, they also convey an impression of conformity to imposed rules. Here the lines consist of electric wires, the conduits used by global communication technologies. In some places they morph into barbed barriers evoking borders, threat and mistrust suggesting the dual nature of communication technologies both as connectors and potential sources of division. Red, blue and white recall the colours of the imperial state’s flags, evoking a legacy of colonial assertion, through the imposition of language and education systems, which this work symbolically gestures toward. As the lines distort, they give way to forms that reference maps of conflict zones such as Aksai Chin, Crimea, the Gaza Strip, Gilgit Baltistan, and the Taiwan Strait, among others conjuring up a long history of colonialist nationalist claims. Through this formal exploration, Kallat exposes the tacit ways in which our minds and perceptions can be colonised by the frameworks we are conditioned within.
Western Sahara, is a vast desert expanse in North-western Africa, spanning approximately 252,120 square kilometers. It is flanked by Morocco to the north, Algeria in a small north-eastern section, and Mauritania to the east and south, with a lengthy coastline along the Atlantic Ocean in the west and northwest. This region boasts valuable mineral resources, particularly phosphates, and supports a thriving fishing industry along its Atlantic coast.
For decades, Morocco has maintained control over Western Sahara, while the indigenous Polisario Front continues its struggle for self-determination, with the support of Algeria.
In response to Spain's shift in foreign policy regarding the contested Western Sahara, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the immediate suspension of a two-decade-old treaty of "friendship, good neighborliness, and cooperation" with Spain. This treaty had fostered a close partnership between the two nations, encompassing matters related to migration, counter-human trafficking efforts, and economic, financial, educational, and defense collaboration since 2002.
The Western Sahara conflict, described by the UN as an "incomplete process of decolonization," remains unresolved, with Morocco asserting ownership of the territory and the indigenous population's aspirations for self-governance remaining unfulfilled. Attempts to find a mutually agreeable solution have faced significant hurdles, with the latest negotiations stalling since 2004. A resolution to the issue remains elusive, as the involved parties, including Morocco, Algeria, and the Polisario Front, maintain divergent goals and motivations, preventing meaningful progress. Some experts argue that the UN should withdraw until all sides are genuinely prepared to engage in negotiations, emphasizing the importance of cooperative efforts among the involved parties to reach a lasting resolution.
Western Sahara, is a vast desert expanse in North-western Africa, spanning approximately 252,120 square kilometers. It is flanked by Morocco to the north, Algeria in a small north-eastern section, and Mauritania to the east and south, with a lengthy coastline along the Atlantic Ocean in the west and northwest. This region boasts valuable mineral resources, particularly phosphates, and supports a thriving fishing industry along its Atlantic coast.
For decades, Morocco has maintained control over Western Sahara, while the indigenous Polisario Front continues its struggle for self-determination, with the support of Algeria.
In response to Spain's shift in foreign policy regarding the contested Western Sahara, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the immediate suspension of a two-decade-old treaty of "friendship, good neighborliness, and cooperation" with Spain. This treaty had fostered a close partnership between the two nations, encompassing matters related to migration, counter-human trafficking efforts, and economic, financial, educational, and defense collaboration since 2002.
The Western Sahara conflict, described by the UN as an "incomplete process of decolonization," remains unresolved, with Morocco asserting ownership of the territory and the indigenous population's aspirations for self-governance remaining unfulfilled. Attempts to find a mutually agreeable solution have faced significant hurdles, with the latest negotiations stalling since 2004. A resolution to the issue remains elusive, as the involved parties, including Morocco, Algeria, and the Polisario Front, maintain divergent goals and motivations, preventing meaningful progress. Some experts argue that the UN should withdraw until all sides are genuinely prepared to engage in negotiations, emphasizing the importance of cooperative efforts among the involved parties to reach a lasting resolution.