Search for Energy (Environment art project)

Search for Energy | Site-specific sculpture Environment Art | Chiman Dangi 2009

Around the globe a major cause of discontent among people is the scarce availability of energy resources. Every country tries to sustain itself and meet the challenges of the developing world. In the 21st century there is more and more likelihood that nations will go to war over energy resources.

The search is on for non-conventional, abundant, inexhaustible, non-polluting, cheap, and efficient sources of energy that can sustain the human race in the long run.

My sculptural creation is inspired by simple village folk. With a little help from technology, Biogas as a fuel can be a locally made alternative source of energy. It is cheap, not much polluting, sustainable and affordable.

This sculpture is created from dried cow dung cakes. It asks us to look for simple, uncomplicated, practical and innovative ways of using the world’s resources. If we think and work together, we can leave a better world for our children.

Picnic at Brahmpol

Picnic at Brahmpol 2013 | Installation Performance Video | Chiman Dangi and Brydee Rood

The painful condition of Udaipur’s streets and lakes is easily ignored by city’s denizens. Our conscience is dead. We do not care anymore or, may be, we are so busy with our personal and professional life that we are not able to contribute in the cleanliness of our surroundings; but that’s a lame excuse to make.

Hurt by the ignorance of the Udaipurites towards the nature, a freelance artist from New Zealand, Brydee Rood, along with a local artist Chiman Dangi, tried a unique way of arousing the emotions of the people towards the cleanliness of Udaipur’s lakes today at Brahmpol.

They named today’s program as ‘Brahmpol Picnic’. Both the activists wore orange plastic cloths and a huge orange plastic balloon over their heads which attracted attention of the passersby. In utter smell of the openly dumped garbage, they started their work by highlighting the garbage with colorful powder.

They also made a sequence of 100 silver colored paper plates to attract the attention towards the garbage. Thereafter, they did a videography of the dumped garbage to showcase it at various public platforms.

Chiman Dangi said, “We are strange people. When we do not receive rainfall, we conduct Yagya to attract the rain god. But after we get the rainfall, we do not even care to clean the lakes for the purity of water”. Brydee said that Udaipur is a beautiful city but people are ruining it by hiding from their responsibilities. They know about the harmful effects of plastic but still they do not stop using it.

It is high time when Udaipurites should stop behaving like an ostrich that hides its head in the ground when it feels danger. Dangerous effects of dirty lakes are a lot more intense than how we perceive them.

Collaborative Art Project 

Chiman Dangi INDIA | Brydee Rood NZ

Text by Gaurav Bhandari

Searching My Heritage

Searching My Heritage | Focus about miniature art mix media | Chiman Dangi 2011| International Miniature Art and Contemporary Art Scenario Workshop | Shilpgram Village - MLS University Udaipur, IN

Power of Insight

Power of Insight | Public Awareness Art - about water pollution in Udaipur's Pichola Lake | Takhman Art Centre Udaipur India | Chiman Dangi 2012

Falling Between Time

Falling Between Time | Chiman Dangi INDIA - Brydee Rood NZ 2012-2013 | An ephemeral collaboration sited in a popular meeting spot in front of the Baba Ramdev Temple, beside the shared water access point and at the entrance of the Sowing Seeds International Artist Residency

Falling Between Time intermingles material reflection, the elements (light, air, water, earth) and the traditional processes of spinning yarns. It is a village custom to collect recycled fibres (old saree cloth, animal hairs…) and typically older men would gather, telling tales and spinning yarns to pass time socially. Amongst other uses, these yarns would commonly be reused to construct the stretched surfaces of wooden bed frames, a bed made from this process would last around 30 years compared to a bed stretched with new, cheaply available plastics and synthetics, lasting only for 2 to 3 years. 

The site became an intersection for social gatherings and dialogues within the created habitat. The collected recycled yarns were dangled and strewn high, falling low to the earth from the ample limbs of a Baniyad Tree, highlighted in the reflective puddles, echoed with the colours of local pigments pooling in the silver foil plates placed around the base of trunk. The ritual combination of elements, looping nature, circular patterning, spinning and rounding of the delicate installation suggests life cycles and support structures within a shifting environment.

Untitled Land

Untitled Land | A collaborative site specific installation and performance by Chiman Dangi and Brydee Rood situated around a vacant lot come wasteland on Ambamata Temple Road, Udaipur, India 2013 | Materials: Local pigment, assorted rubbish bags, raincoats, auto rickshaw, solar lights and miscellaneous reused waste material. Photographers: Sunil Nimawat and Vijendra Devra. Link to article about Untitled Land