'The Conference of the Birds': New exhibition explores famous Persian fable

A new art exhibition here explores the Persian fable 'The Conference of the Birds' by 12th-century Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar through artworks of 16 contemporary Indian artists.

The exhibition, borrowing its title from the poem, depicts the fable in which the birds of the world embark on a journey in search of a mythical majestic bird, the legendary Simorgh, and are led by the wisest bird Hoopoe to reach the abode of Simorgh after crossing seven valleys.

The artists including Padma Shri awardee Bhajju Shyam, Sangeet Natak Akademi winner Parvathy Baul, Jagannath Panda, Madhvi Parekh, Manjunath Kamath, Rameshwar Broota, Lado Bai and Mayank Shyam have created artworks to depict the Sufi poem in their own inimitable ways.

"Working on this exhibition has been interesting as we are presenting the works of indigenous and contemporary urban artists together. The artists have responded to the concept in unique ways and even though the works are visually very different, they are complementary to each other in a rather sublime way," said Anubhav Nath, director, Ojas Art. According to the organisers, ''The Conference of the Birds'' is a global participatory arts project led by Simon Sharkey, former associate director, National Theatre of Scotland, and artist-educator Erica May from Canada.

''The project uses the poem and the framework of 7 episodes/valleys to create responses from several different communities across the world, to the challenges faced when dealing with the impact of Covid-19,'' they said in a statement. The explorations -- happening simultaneously in India, Chile, Brazil, Bangladesh, Ghana, Scotland, and Canada -- will be shared at COP 26, the UN Conference on Climate Change that opens in Glasgow on November 1.

"It has been truly enriching to explore the lives of the disadvantaged and marginalized through the lens of Covid and the Climate Change crises. The strength and fortitude with which they have tapped into hidden resources within themselves and built a network of support in their communities, is truly inspiring,'' said Puneeta Roy, managing trustee, The Yuva Ekta Foundation. The exhibition, organised by Ojas Art Gallery and Yuva Ekta Foundation, will come to a close on November 7.

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