Tr̶igg̶er Warning! Tr̶igg̶er Warning! (2020)
incantation by Swan Nemesis
Written and conceived while in a meditative trance state attained through the practice of Chilla. Originally conceived to be performed as part of a ceremonial ritual invoking the symbolism of the tiger, a figure emblematic of resistance, identity and pride in culture.
The work explores myth and memory through a meditation on intergenerational trauma, transcultural space, spirit realms and interspecies communication. Using the art of lyricism as weaponry, words act as a warning for the present, confronting horrors of the past and forewarning possible futures.
Read here.
Commissioned as part of Nothing Gentle Will Remain
An online group show and print publication curated by Lydia Antoniou, Caterina Guadagno, Nora Kovacs, Titus Nouwens and William Rees. In partnership with Open School East, Margate and MA Curating Contemporary Art Programme Graduate Projects 2020, Royal College of Art, London
Moth Tears and Tiger Memories (2017)
digital photographic print, variable dimensions
Tiger Vision (2021)
single channel video, text, soundscape, 41 min 36 sec incantation by Swan Nemesis
soundscape by Nina Radio Tapes + Ice Cream Mafia
Recommended to view in full screen at 1080p in blackout conditions. Best experienced using headphones.
This work is developed from Tr̶igg̶er Warning! Tr̶igg̶er Warning! (2020) see above. It featured as a central element of Black Case Volume III after Joseph Jarman (2022) an immersive, multi-sensory audiovisual installation activated through Sādhanā (2022), a series of live performances; both of which were commissioned by Cement Fields for Whitstable Biennale 2022. Click here to view documentation for all works I presented as part of Whitstable Biennale 2022.
Love For The Tiger Cub (2020)
digital photographic print, variable dimensions
Swan Nemesis is one of the alter egos I use in my practice; a mythical form of female energy from the future, a sādhak in Vimalābhūmi, using the art of lyricism as weaponry in live and recorded performance. Swan Nemesis subsisted on sound not calories. Her fire never dampened by the overwhelming bleakness and darkness of the Kali Yuga.
The creation of a myth for Swan Nemesis, who is accompanied by the presence of a tiger in various forms, developed from a brief encounter with a small group of children from Cliftonville, Margate asking “Where you from? What animals do you have in India?”. This work is ongoing and dedicated to them — Patrick, Alex, Igor, Lucas, Egge, Zayna & Marek.
Photos by Dipesh Pandya