CULTURE 20 The Crest Edition ART, THEATRE, MUSIC THE TIMES OF INDIA

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THE DECCAN’S I Stone on Clinton f Hilary Clinton decides to run for Preside- nt in 2016, one Hollywood star who won’t Ibe cheering is director Oliver Stone. “I can’t stand her,” the man who gave us JFK AFRICAN CONNECTION and Scarface told The Guardian. “She’s been a hawk for years. She was LONE STAR: Malik Ambar is the best against the Contras. She The British Library has just bought a priceless known Abyssinian warrior from Indian voted for the Iraq war. medieval history She urged Obama to portrait of Ikhlas Khan, the Abyssinian minister is the staging point send in more troops to for the Ajanta-, Sai Afghanistan. She’s always Baba’s shrine at Shirdi, Bibi-ka- taken the ‘America is indis-

in the Bijapur sultanate Maqbara, the Lonar Crater, and even © CAMILLA MORANDI/CORBIS pensable’ routine and, most ’s tomb — but not Malik recently, she wrote an arti- Ambar’s mausoleum even though cle for Foreign Affairs. She spoke of the 21st RESHMI DASGUPTA Ambar, there was Dastur Dinar, Saifuddin he founded that city, which was century as America’s Pacific century, arguing Firuz Shah of Bengal, the hereditary originally called Kharki. that China can and should be contained. lad in flowing Deccani robes, nawabs of Janjira and Sachin and many An Archaeological Survey of India She’s like those idiots on Fox News who make his head covered in a tight more. One ‘’ Bastian even took part site states that Ambar’s mausoleum an enemy of China by presenting them as a golden turban and astride a in the uprising of 1857. Hearteningly, is non-ticketed, although there’s a threat. Who’s the threat? We have 800 to rearing grey charger, Ikhlas India’s silence on its African connection charge of Rs 5000 for those who want 1,000 foreign bases; they have one.” Stone, an Khan is an intriguing visage (apart from some scholarly books on the to film onsite. But despite his pivotal “Eisenhower Republican” who fought in Viet- C on the website of the British subject) was finally broken by Ketaki role in India’s history, ASI’s own nam, is now a “Chávez-admiring Buddhist”. Library. The miniature, watercolour on Sheth’s book of photographs titled A checklist of ‘tourist facilities’ has a paper portrait, circa 1670-80, was recently Certain Grace: The Sidi-Indians of African ‘No’ listed against everything except I purchased by the British Library from the Descent, released in Mumbai last month. ‘approach road’ and ‘pathways’. So, Neruda Tribute Richard Johnson collection bought by the Photographs also form the base of no parking, toilets, drinking water, he body of the great Chilean poet Pablo East India Company for its library in 1807. another exhibition, currently on at the dustbins, signages, souvenir shops Neruda was exhumed last week in order Though it has suffered some damage, it is Schomburg Center for Research in Black or facilities for differently abled are Tto see if the poet died a natural death or a rare artefact of a little known but infi- Culture in the New York Public Library, was poisoned by Pinochet’s men. The Chi- nitely interesting era in Indian history. titled Africans in India: From Slaves to be highlighted, for a better idea of the nese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has made a When the Tughlaqs, Lodhis and complexion of the India of those times. huge 900-square-meter painting dedicated finally the Mughals conquered After all, unlike the Caribbean and the Khan’s distinctly African to the poet. It was unveiled recently in Valp- areas of India north of the Vindhyas Americas (and despite India’s age-old features look nothing araiso, where Neruda lived. Entitled A Pablo convoluted wars were raging among obsession with fairness), the ‘Habshis’ (To Pablo), the painting explores a touchy the . But the intri- who came to medieval India soon shot like Kamal Amrohi’s political issue. It shows gues and colourful characters that to prominence and power. cartoonish Dharmendra- dark-toned images of the pepper the histories of Bidar, Berar, For instance, like Yaqut and Raziya Senkaku Islands, a small Bijapur, Golconda, Sultan, Ikhlas Khan’s name was also link- with-boot-polish East China Sea archipelago, haven’t become part of pan-Indian ed to a queen, Chand Bibi, a princess of cinematic portrayal of which are at the center lore like the Mughals. Ahmednagar who became regent of of a bitter territorial dispu- That is why the face of the 15th- Bijapur when her husband died without another Abyssinian, te between China and century Abyssinian noble is so an heir. Malik Raihan (later titled Ikhlas Japan. Chinese marine NOBLE VISAGE: Jalaluddin Yaqut, who Paintings of captivating. Khan’s distinctly African Khan) played a decisive role in the intern- was linked to Delhi’s only surveillance vessels Malik Raihan alias features look nothing like Kamal ecine battles that finally led to Chand regularly patrol what Beijing says are its Ikhlas Khan show Amrohi’s cartoonish Dharmendra- Bibi’s rise as well as fall. Khan and other woman sultan Raziya in waters around the islands, prompting him (above) in with-boot-polish cinematic portrayal ‘Habshi’ generals were active participants accusations of territorial incursions by vestments that of another Abyssinian, Jalaluddin in skirmishes for at least three centuries, the 13th century. Maybe Tokyo. The painting carries a verse from speak highly of Yaqut, who was linked to Delhi’s till the Mughals put their stamp on most Idris Elba, at a pinch the poem Cabo de Chile by the artist’s his power, and only woman sultan Raziya in the parts of the peninsular India. father, Ai Qing, who dedicated the poem (centre) sitting 13th century. Maybe Idris Elba, at a As the best known of the Abyssinian to his friend Neruda. astride a rearing pinch. But the ease with which Ikhlas slave/soldiers/statesmen who made India provided. Is it surprising then that he is grey charger in Khan wears the vestments of high their (place where you do forgotten by now? full Deccani gear karma bhoomi I Deccani officials in the miniature your karma (good or bad deeds)), Malik And it is the same story at Ikhlas Divorce Poetry speaks volumes about his power. Ambar’s life is the stuff of (cross-over) Khan’s tomb at Budaun in Uttar Pradesh. he Pulitzer Prize for But so few know even a little about to Generals and Rulers, on till July 6. movies. After all, he numbered Afghans, There would be few there (or anywhere) poetry has gone to him, especially in India. Hearteningly, Contemporary photos of monuments built Turks, Persians and Central Asians, Por- who would know about this Abyssinian TSharon Olds for her light is finally being shone on a group that by and for Africans in India give some tuguese and Britons as friends and ene- noble. This when, in a city like Delhi, even book of poems, Stag’s Leap, gets very dim play in our subcontinental indication of their prominent role in those mies, and had 10,000 loyal African troops comparatively minor piles of medieval that explores the anguished history: the warrior Africans. Malik Ambar times as do the traditional paintings of whom he used to great effect in several masonry have at least a blue ASI sign, months leading to the end of is probably the only Abyssinian from African rulers and officials, sourced from Deccan wars. Such was his dominance fencing and lights. It is some consolation a long marriage. An excerpt medieval history who is recognised today. private collections and museums in India, and wily perseverance that a frustrated that the architectural legacy of another from the title poem: But before him, apart from those shipped England and the US. Emperor Jehangir apparently actually re- African import — Ahmedabad’s exquisite When anyone escapes, my heart leaps up. to India as slaves and eunuchs by Arab The British Library’s collection and sorted to racist invective to vent his anger. Sidi Saiyid mosque with the ‘Tree of Life’ Even when it’s I who am escaped from, traders, many Ethiopians, Somali and San Diego Museum of Art’s collection of To that educated Ethiopian also goes jaali window — is well preserved. But how I am half on the side of the leaver. Mozambiquans (all dubbed ‘’ Deccani miniatures are also priceless the credit of crafting the shoot-and-scoot many know its African connection? It’s so quiet, today) allied with fractious rulers to carve reminders of this phase of India’s history. guerrilla warfare that the Marathas When will an Indian institution wake and empty, when he’s left. I feel like a out places for themselves. But legacies of today’s African-Indians and (whom he mentored) later perfected. up to this unusual phase of history and landscape, Apart from Ikhlas Khan and Malik their pioneering medieval forebears need Yet today his tomb lies largely forgotten. bring it to the notice of the people?  a ground without a figure. I

empowerment at the Delft traditional methods like passing it through University of Technology. Her marble chips, charcoal, sand and duck- display is about changing food weed, and then through goji berries and consumption patterns of local cardamom to infuse it with a distinctive Soup in the studio communities in the light of mod- taste. There are several outlets to ernisation. She has worked with a allow audiences to taste the water at group of schoolgirls from Khirki different stages. “We are applying the Jar your own jam, listen to a Bhupen Khakhar story and taste some village, taking them on field visits, principles of ancient ayurveda,” says asking them to document house- Morikawa, a fashion designer based in cardamom water at this show where food and art meet hold food consumption patterns, India for three years now. or telling them to share their The artist who is most adept at this, experiences while visiting large though, is the Austrian, Rainer Prohaska. AMARDEEP BANERJEE historically been a significant indicator of convenience stores like Reliance He has designed more than 20 food TIMES NEWS NETWORK our cultural, ecological and social realms,” Fresh which have come up around installations and cooks a French vegetable says the exhibition’s curator, Asmita the area. “While on the one hand, soup this time. Stoves will be installed esigners Agat Sharma and Ambika Rangari. “Being an intrinsic expression of consumption patterns are chang- in the courtyard, with eight PVC pipes Joshi are busy preparing for their our cultural identity, food has often been ing, on the other, the ancient connecting the workstation to foot-over- Dshow, an installation that allows employed as a measure of our standing in knowledge pertaining to food is bridges above. The audience will chop the viewers to package marmalade. The audi- society, defining and determining social disappearing,” says Bansal, who vegetables and drop them into the pipes, ence is handed a measure of the fruit norms and thereby used as a means for wants to highlight this dichotomy which will convey them to the cooking preserve, asked to choose from a range of discrimination and oppression.” through her exhibition. station. There are eight different vegetables 20 different jars, and finally pick a name for Catherine Mcmahon, an artist from Germany’s Andre Wakko and — potato, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, their jam from a hundred different ones. New York, will read out a short story by Japan’s Mia Morikawa have tomato, green chilli and red pepper — The objective, says Sharma, is to allow the late contemporary Indian artist, planned a water-designing and salt. “It will just be the taste of the viewers to experience the process of pack- Bhupen Khakhar, called Maganbhai’s process. They filter water using vegetables,” says Prohaska. “There will be aging. “There is no larger purpose to this,” Glue. A charming and comical account SIMPLE LIVING: no herbs or spices.” he says. “We want the audience to come of a man trying his hand at different Andre Wakko and Mia Prohaska’s most recent installation was back a little disappointed. There is no professions like glue-making and catering Morikawa’s machine in Toronto last year, where he made two message we want to give through this.” and failing in all of them, the story also filters water through different kinds of breadspread — a Turkish Sharma and Joshi’s installation, called reflects Mcmahon’s experience while marble chips, charcoal one with finely grained walnut, and an Food Ontologies, is part of a multi-discipli- planning for this exhibition. “Maganbhai and sand and then Austrian one, where the main ingredients nary art exhibition centered round the tries his hand at setting up an Indian food through goji berries were cream cheese, onion, garlic and theme of food being held at the studios of joint in the US, which is where the food and cardamom to infuse paprika. He explains why he is fascinated Khoj — International Artists Association, bit comes in. But the story also reflects it with a distinctive by food as a medium: “When you watch a taste; (right) Austrian a Delhi-based group dedicated to promot- my experience here. Like Maganbhai, I medium like TV, you can see and hear it,” artist Rainer Prohaska’s ing alternative arts. stumbled from one idea to another before installation can make he says. “But with food, you can see, The objective of the exhibition is to finally deciding to put up a reading French vegetable soup smell, taste and touch it. It excites more examine the significance and relevance installation,” says Mcmahon, who has a sense organs.”  of food in a socio-cultural context via the master’s degree in history and criticism ‘In Context: public.art.ecology: medium of art. “Food, besides being a sub- of art and architecture from MIT. Food Edition II’ be on at Khoj Studios, ject of endless passionate discussion within Netherlands-based Lipika Bansal is S-17 Khirkee Extension, New Delhi our personal and most intimate lives, has writing her PhD thesis on women’s till April 23, 11 am to 7 pm