Image:
Anindita BANERJEE
Documentation still of Transient Temples 2019
Performance installation
With regret, Benalla Art Gallery wishes to confirm the cancellation of the Bush Diwan Community Weekend in light the impacts of the significant flood event in Benalla and across Victoria.
We are incredibly grateful to the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, all of the artists, partner organisations, and the community— including around 6,000 exhibition visitors—for developing, presenting, and supporting this important exhibition.
As always, the safety of our community is our primary concern, and Benalla Art Gallery sends best wishes to those who have been affected by the floods.
When: Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th October 2022
Price: This is a FREE event
Join us for a weekend of culture, art, performance, learning and community celebration for the closing of Bush Diwan at Benalla Art Gallery. Curated by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (4A), the Community Weekend celebrates the legacy of community gathering, inspired by the story of Benalla local Siva Singh and his bringing together of Sikhs on his property in December 1920.
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
Saturday 15 October
Morning meditation: Japji Sahib and morning Kirtan at sunrise
Shepparton Sikh Gurdwara
6.30—7.30AM in the Bennett Gallery
Begin your morning with a sunrise meditation session in the Bennett Gallery surrounded by the artworks in Bush Diwan.
Japji Sahib is the Sikh prayer that appears at the beginning of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and is performed in the morning and evening. Japji Sahib will be followed by kirtan (devotional music) performed by Granthis from the Shepparton Sikh Gurudwara. Langar (free vegetarian community kitchen) will be provided by the Gurdwara.
Anyone is welcome to join the morning meditation. A specific protocol of worship exists for the event to ensure respectful conduct. Here are some things to keep in mind:
● Be modestly attired
● Cover your head with a scarf or bandana
● Remove your shoes
● Wash hands, and feet if needed
● Sit quietly on the floor with your legs crossed, and face towards Sri Guru Granth Sahib or Granthis
● Accept prasad, a sweet made from flour, butter, and sugar
● Enjoy a vegetarian meal from the free langar kitchen
Phulkari workshop
Amardeep Shergill
10—11AM and 3—4PM in the Patricia [Pat] Gardner Studio
Join Amardeep Shergill to learn the basics of phulkari. Amardeep will teach, share and facilitate a workshop in this uniquely Punjabi textile and embroidery practice, taking inspiration from her sculptural works in Bush Diwan, as well as the beautiful surroundings of Benalla’s Botanical Garden.
Registration: Bookings for these workshops are strictly limited. Secure your place by contacting the Gallery on:
T: 03 5760 2619 or emailing gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au
Transient Temples Performance
Anindita Banerjee
11AM—12PM in the Benalla Botanical Gardens
Anindita Benarjee will remount her ritualised performance installation Transient Temples on Saturday morning. For an hour, Anindita will connect with a local tree in the Botanical Garden and tie Mauli—which are red strings worn by Hindus on their wrists for puja or religious ceremony—around her chosen tree.
The ritual allows Anindita to contemplate her place as a migrant on the unceded and colonised First Nations lands of Australia. In turn, she shares this experience with the visitors of Benalla Art Gallery, encouraging them to reflect on the process of settling and reclaiming ceremonies of faith and gathering.
In conversation: First Nations and migrant solidarity
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa and Perun Bonser
12—1PM in the Bennett Gallery
Join Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa and Perun Bonser for a discussion on the dialogues between their individual creative practices and respective Sikh and First Nations cultures. Working across performance, poetry, photography and moving image, the artists will be discussing calls to action, justice and migrant solidarity with First Nations communities. Drawing from their works exhibited in Bush Diwan, their dialogues will traverse their multidisciplinary practices and the process of seeking solidarity in one another.
Registration: Secure your place by contacting the Gallery on:
T: 03 5760 2619 or emailing gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au
Music, food and connections
12—3PM in the Benalla Botanical Gardens
Gather in the Botanical Gardens surrounding Benalla Art Gallery to be immersed in a curated selection of music, and food from local Punjabi community of Benalla and surrounding area. Leisurely soak up the atmosphere, listen to some tunes, enjoy complementary chai tea and mango lassi catered by Tandoori Hut Benalla, or grab yourself some lunch from the Nice Kurry Place food truck.
Day Dream workshop
Manisha Anjali
2—3PM in the Benalla Botanical Gardens
In this workshop, we will commune with our inner worlds in relation to the flowers, trees and animals in the Benalla Botanical Gardens. We will explore poetry making through daydream and play, by way of an improvised walk and guided writing session. As a group, we will play and perform symbols from our garden walks. Facilitated by writer and artist Manisha Anjali.
Poetry workshop
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa
3—4PM in the Bennett Gallery
Award-winning spoken word artist, educator and human rights advocate Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa will lead participants through a writing and poetry workshop in the Bennett Gallery. Bring along your ideas to jot down on paper and take inspiration from the art and gardens around you as Sukhjit shares her knowledge and tips for writing poetry.
Sunday 16 October
Panel talk: Bush Diwan
Exhibiting artists, including Anindita Banerjee, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, Perun Bonser and Amardeep Shergill
10.30—11.30AM in the Bennett Gallery
To celebrate the final day of Bush Diwan, we invite you to gather at the Gallery to hear from the artists Anindita Banerjee, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, Perun Bonser and Amardeep Shergill. The artists will be sharing their perspectives on Bush Diwan, their processes and reflections on the contemporary reimagining of Siva Singh’s story.
Registration: Secure your place by contacting the Gallery on:
T: 03 5760 2619 or emailing gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au
Acknowledgements:
4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and Benalla Art Gallery wish to thank the following people and groups for their advocacy, research, advice and support. These contributions have left a legacy of stronger awareness and understanding of Siva Singh’s story, and directly assisted in developing and delivering Bush Diwan and associated public programs:
Benalla Migrants Association
The Sikh communities of Benalla, Shepparton and northeast Victoria
Benalla Historical Society
Australian Indian Historical Society
Shepparton Sikh Gurdwara
Tandoori Hut Benalla
Benalla Migrant Camp
