my body is a walking exhibition challenges the imperial gaze and the assumed right to see what is exhibited. It proposes to cover all but eight of the 600+ objects in Room 41 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London using white khadi fabric. Khadi holds historical significance as a symbol of Indian colonial resistance and mourning. By intentionally covering the objects and flattening the space, the colonial subject-object power dynamics perpetuated by hegemonic ‘modern/colonial’ exhibition design are disrupted. This decolonial proposition attempts to ‘block’ the imperial gaze. It invites you to stay with the discomfort of an exhibition where objects cannot be seen.
PHOTO CREDITS BY
Femke Reijerman & Fileona Dkhar