Sunday, September 10, 2017

Market- plaza and kaleidoscopic space

Kaleidoscope on his yearly puja shopping is once again roaming around different shopping destinations.

His first destination was uttarapan the ghostly state build market corner with a handful of good shops, often govt sponsored ones. Yes wonderful ways to explore sarees and punjabis where you feel the heterotopia from juxtaposition of 'resham shilpa' shop with fully clad plaza effect and a near broken shanty like shop lacking even a proper signboard. While he crosses the staricase, smell of ammonia reminds him the public urinal nearby. But yes, its peaceful. Handful of people in proximics, a few uninterested shopkeepers and gloomy 1980s market appearance. When kaleidoscope crosses the staricase entrance of the first floor he sees four mid 50s men discussing politics over 'bidi' - the country made cigar.

To complement the mood of the space there are broken ceilings, iron skeleton of a few pillars looking at kaleidoscope, demanding his unintended attention and a few words haunts him for the space. The delhi'e durbar restaurant has been closed down years ago but no one seems to be interested to begin new initiative at the abandoned space. Such facts perhaps remind kalieodsocpe to be informal in the space once again.

As he comes out and sees the conspicuous state central library he asks, does it signify heterotopia or should he look at the space in concert? Otherwise why should there be the failed restaurants, ghostlike market place, historical dreams (largely has remained dream)in Damodar Valley Corporation and finally the library where very few people come and whoever comes gets disappointed with the reluctance of the staff (well a story of half of a decade old, Kaleidoscope is sceptical if it has changed). Then there is ESI hospital where kaleidoscope once met people who are living for months as they have no one to take back home. Finally the graveyard!

Now kaleidoscope takes a yellow cab (not uber) complementing with the mood of the space to reach at nearby pantaloons. Yes, it is formal and meticulously designed to make kaleido self conscious. There are so many mirrors to look at you! If it was the uninterested shopkeepers and juxtaposed 'reaham shilpa' shop at uttarapan, for pantaloons its kaleidoscope himself who made him feel alienated with a heterotopic self. Its him everywhere looking and asking uncomfortable questions. At one mirror there is kaleidoscope and just beside him there is a Hollywood hero. Hence, kaleidoscope is challenged with his looks and body. At another there seems to be a faceless body and price tags.

While kaleidoscope could feel the self-space interface he knew it was a concerted effort to alienate and isolate be it kaleidoscopic self, the space or his being.

Love for Richardson's Being in the market versus being in plaza 1982 continues.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/ae.1982.9.2.02a00120/pdf

1 comment:

  1. Powerful observation. A few photographs could complete it

    ReplyDelete