Loosing Roots - (Edition 2/4) by Satyanarayana Gavara

Artwork by Satyanarayan Gavara.

During a residency (Khoj x Arthshila-2025), Satyanarayan Gavara embarked on an immersive exploration of the villages and landscapes surrounding Parivarthan, engaging in profound conversations with local individuals, about the intricacies of cultivation, sharecropping, and the traditions that define their way of living. As he traversed the fields and villages, he discovered a complex web of stories, struggles, and transformations, where the once-thriving agricultural practices, passed down through generations, are now facing an existential crisis. The next generation, seeking better opportunities, is abandoning the fields for the promise of urban life, and he observed that people from Ranchi are seeking opportunities in brick kilns in Bihar, highlighting the complexities of migration and labor. This phenomenon is intertwined with the decline of farming in the region, as the younger generation seeks alternative livelihoods, leading to a rise in tenant farming, altering the fabric of rural society.

This artwork was exhibited at Method Delhi in the group exhibition "Formation & Fracture" a group exhibition featuring alumni from IMMERSE by  Somaiya Vidyavihar University (July 2025).