Lounge
An exhibition that lies at the intersection of ecology and queerness
Summary
Apnavi Makanji’s works, on display at a new show at TARQ, prod us to look beyond the binary notions of aquatic life and nature
Apnavi Makanji has a distinct visual lexicon. Their new body of work shown at their solo exhibition, titled Modern Romance and Other Deaths, at gallery TARQ in Mumbai, offers strange dreamscapes of a world unknown, yet seemingly familiar. Although anchored in biodiversity, the series hints at a possible future of adaptation and inclusivity. Makanji’s works lie at the intersection of queer and ecology. By prodding us to look beyond the binary notions of aquatic life and nature, they ask us to expand our world view.
Take for instance, Umbilicus, which is part of the artist’s Parallax ( 2024) series. It’s a large-scale drawing on Stonehenge paper that’s steeped in surrealism. Umbilicus could be construed as a monochromatic portrait of a hybrid being with a gesticulating tentacle, joined to a sphere that comprises dense, cloud-like swirls. The delicate orb appears to hold water, ether and other elements, representing the cycle of life. Such spheres are a recurring motif in the series, which they refer to as “exoplanets".
“The ‘exoplanets’ are defined by Nasa as planets beyond our solar system. Astronomers have long been looking for potentially habitable exos and this series suggests the uncertainty of a new beginning," says Geneva-based Makanji, 48. “My works depict exoplanets in the nascent form: an invitation to enter a world of endless possibilities, allowing your mind to run wild."
The beauty of a sphere is that it can suggest multiple interpretations—it can summon the image of a new world, a crystal orb signalling a future reality; or, in the case of Umbilicus, it’s reminiscent of a womb filled with amniotic fluid, while the tentacle could be akin to an umbilical cord.
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Makanji has a preoccupation with water—a theme that flows through this exhibition. Through their art, Makanji showcases the inextricable relationship between water, marine life and humanity. “I’ve always been drawn to water. Even more so after my mother passed away, I swam through my grief," Makanji explains. “Ever since that loss, I have been swimming furiously in the waters of Lake Geneva and the Rhône." For them, water offers a nurturing, womb-like haven.
Their chance, albeit brief, encounter with a catfish in 2022 while swimming in the Rhône, sent them off into a deep exploratory journey, which eventually manifested into this exhibition. The artist recalls returning immediately to their studio to research on the barbelled fish. “I read the city of Geneva had mandated that catfish not be returned to the water when fished for sport (as with other fish), but instead be killed as ‘invasive’," Makanji says. “My interest in this condemned species, and others like it, started then. They form the ‘other deaths’ in the title of the exhibition."
Either due to global warming or other acts of human interference, often certain species find their way into habitats they’re not originally native to, eventually disrupting their newly adopted homes. Such plants, fish, animals and fungi are dumped in the “invasive species" category. The growing population of a particular invasive species can spark ecological imbalances, as they outcompete native species for food and alter ecosystems. “Umbilicus is representative of certain species that fall under the category of global ‘invasives’," explains Makanji.
In similar vein, Polar Jellification, which forms part of their larger work Appropriation Disinformation-Nature and the Body Politic (ongoing since 2020) features a buoyant, bulbous dome-like purple body and turquoise green tentacles. The artwork signals “the rise of the jellyfish population in the oceans," explains the artist. “This creature is proliferating due to warming waters, and overfishing, and is now considered ‘invasive’. The work reflects a straightforward idea of cause and effect: our human impact."
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While works like Polar Jellification and Humboldt (2024; referring to the squid) are a commentary on the new migration routes adopted by species that are impacted by climate change, the artist also challenges the geographical borders demarcated on maps that signify nation identity and political control. Makanji sees maps as narrators of colonial conquests.
They elucidate, “Whether maps depict borders between nation states or are geological surveys of extraction, they are a reductive portrayal of a world as immense and beautifully complex as ours." In other words, maps fail to capture the diversity, intricate ecosystems, and interconnectedness of the natural world and human societies. Nor do they reflect the greater ecological impact extractions of natural minerals have, that affect land and marine populations. Rather, maps only perpetuate the idea of “the us" and “the other".
The artist constructs “new" maps by superimposing “collaged organisms" on “antique, colonial or mid-century" maps. They use their artwork, replete with shorelines and jagged terrains, to initiate conversations around displacement of aquatic life, indigenous communities, colonialism and climate emergency.
Makanji’s visual proposal of a newer world is quite cerebral. They won the prestigious The Prix Fondation Édouard et Maurice Sandoz 2024 for their project titled K(NOT)WEED, inspired by the edible Japanese plant. “Knotweed was brought to Europe in the 19th century as an ornamental plant," informs Makanji. “Although it lives harmoniously in Japan and is even venerated for its medicinal properties, today it’s widely considered invasive; a ‘global menace’ due to its rapid capability of adaptation and root system that damages concrete."
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As Makanji aptly points, there exist remarkable similarities between the vocabulary used in botany to describe “non-native" plants, and the words used in right-wing political rhetoric to describe “invasion" of unwanted “outsiders". “Anchoring my work in botany and not with people, enables me to think about such themes through a lens that supersedes the human perspective," they say. “I want to create a body of work that draws parallels between plant migrations in colonial times, and the contemporary human migration, particularly in the context of a climate emergency," they say.
Ultimately, this deeply potent exhibition invites us to envision a more liberal, equitable and inclusive world. “We are so emphatic about our choices about what is friend or foe, invasive or native. Could we form better worlds, without leaving this planet we call home, if we shift our perspective?" asks Makanji.
At TARQ, Mumbai till 20 December.
Radhika Iyengar is the author of Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Banaras, and an independent arts and culture journalist. She posts @radhika_iy
