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hard floors and were complemented by masked wiring leading to temporary lights. This
system is often evident in the cheaply wired brothels of the lal batti. This was not the
formal elegance of an art exhibition but the difficult positioning of a lifestyle in a foreign
space.
At the base of each artwork I positioned a brief explanation. To read the explanation one
had to lower one’s self to the floor. One was forced into a vulnerable yet obviously
enquiring position. In the process of squatting and reading the explanation the viewer
encountered the artwork from a position of intimate powerlessness. They were exposed
to its details yet smaller than its totality.
All artworks were displayed at the same height except for the one dealing with Demise.
This artwork was displayed hanging from the ceiling. This position emphasised the last
stage of the soul, and the frail yet corporal consequence of prostitution in the lal batti. It
drifted above the world of the street yet was clearly part of it.
Digital ink jet enlargements of photographs of the artworks were positioned along a
sidewall
of the gallery. These emphasised the human context of the work and indicated
the performative nature of each piece.
The design of the exhibition therefore emphasised restraint and contemplation. It
removed sensationalism so one encountered each piece and the collection as a whole
‘voice’.
The exegesis was positioned in the same space but lit as if discovered under a streetlight.
However, the theory lay revealed in the work and the provision of this text served only as
a support for those wishing to experience a deeper reading of the artwork.
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