How many times do we wonder and ask ourselves the meaning of our lives, its purpose and the mysteries that surround it? One of the well-known depictions of the absurdity of our existence is found in Samuel Beckett’s two-act play, ‘Waiting for Godot’. Written in 1952, a time of changing technologies and power systems, the play profoundly comments on the inherent human need of finding a purpose and engaging in everyday activities that may eventually yield no result. It is in this redundancy that we hope to find our saviour, our Godot, to rescue us.
Spiralling into the Absurd brings together ten artists who engage in an act of repetition and follow a meditative, introspective approach to their practice. This process is a laborious one, wherein the act of creating is the pinnacle of an artist’s relationship with their artwork. Integrating mathematical algorithms and networks of microscopic activities, they attempt to engage with concerns regarding religion, disabilities, climate change, language, love, and politics. It culminates as a coming together of our need for hope, a direction and a purpose in life through praying, meditating, thinking ahead, or stopping altogether.
Text@ChavviJain