Exhibition open to 2 June

Wed to Sat, 12 - 5.30pm

Harminder Singh Judge is a live artist. His work challenges romanticised notions and misunderstandings of spiritualism within Indian and Eastern culture which have stemmed from inaccurate portrayals and stereotypical visualisations within Western imagery - through a (con)fusion of cultural customs, dress and ritual.

Singh will present a new video work which is a documentation of an intimate performance to camera. This is the first time that Singh has presented his performance as video which constitutes not only a shift in his practice but also in the method he uses to engage with his audience.

Entering a specially constructed viewing space the audience are instructed to follow specific protocol in order to experience the work. The video depicts the artist with a curious combination of spoken word, chanting, and poetry emanating from his suspiciously still mouth - a confused jumble of audio and visual signals confronts the viewer and challenges them to assess their position and preconceptions.

Project History and Development

During 2005 live artist Judge physically changed his appearance by growing his hair and beard. This social experiment was an exploration into both the (negative) public perception and reaction caused by an increase in recent terrorist activity whilst referring to the teaching of the Sikh religion which states that one should allow one's hair to grow naturally as a sign of identity and purity in the eyes of God. During ISP Judge continued to investigate these opposing positions whilst investigating the documentation of live art practice.

Artist's statement, May 2006:

"There are certain prominent preconceptions within Western culture about the beliefs and rituals of Indian and Eastern religion that are incorrect. These constant romanticised notions and misunderstandings of spiritualism and interaction have stemmed from inaccurate portrayals and stereotypical visualisations of the culture through Western imagery. My work is predominantly the realisation of my reaction to these false ‘facts', largely those centred around Sikhism".

Chonkary Maro, Performance Event, 
May 2006

As part of Fierce! Festival, Judge performed his work-in-progress Chonkary Maro which places the onus firmly on the audience to create their own experiences and impressions.

The audience were invited to explore a beautiful pseudo-sanctuary environment and have a unique experience whereby Judge interacted with them to explore ideas about places of worship, rituals, protocol and acceptance.