“Please Touch Gently”: Exploring the World of Zines and Comics at KNMA
Table of Contents
Primary Topic: Art Exhibition – specifically, an exhibition focused on zines, comics, and self-publishing in India.
Primary Keyword: Indian zines & Comics
Secondary Keywords: KNMA (Kiran Nadar Museum of Art), self-publishing, DIY culture, underground comics, zine culture, independent publishing, participatory art, contemporary art, Chapaghar.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) is hosting “Please Touch Gently (zines, comics, ephemera),” a unique exhibition that challenges traditional museum conventions by inviting visitors to handle the artwork. https://www.knma.co.in/exhibition/please-touch-gently-zines-comics-ephemera/ Part of KNMA’s young Artists of Our Times series, the exhibition showcases the vibrant subcultures of zine and comic creation in India, emphasizing self-publishing and a do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos.
A Participatory Archive
Curated by aqui Thami, Bharath Murthy, and himanshu s, with curatorial advisor Akansha Rastogi, Associate Director, Visual Arts at KNMA, “Please Touch Gently” re-imagines the museum space as a participatory archive. This approach directly contrasts with the typical museum experience, were interaction with artwork is limited to visual observation. The exhibition features contributions from over a thousand zinesters, comics artists, illustrators, feminists, and independent publishers working in 22 languages.
Zines and Comics as Tools for Expression
The exhibition highlights the importance of zines and comics as powerful tools for:
* Pedagogy: Zines and comics can serve as alternative educational resources, conveying facts and perspectives outside of mainstream institutions.
* Memory: These self-published works frequently enough document personal and collective experiences,preserving memories and histories.
* Dissent: Zines and comics provide a platform for expressing critical viewpoints and challenging societal norms.
* Community Formation: The creation and circulation of zines and comics foster connections and build communities around shared interests and ideologies.
Following the exhibition,these materials will be integrated into KNMA’s library,establishing a complete collection of Indian zines and comics and ensuring their preservation within an institutional setting.
Exploring the indian Comic Scene & DIY Culture
“Please Touch Gently” is notable as the first exhibition of it’s scale and scope to survey the Indian comic scene within a museum context. It brings together the worlds of self-publishing and small presses, presenting a constellation of storytelling experiments. The exhibition explores themes of resistance, survival, and self-expression, encouraging artists and audiences to “talk back” and “take back” creative control.
Chapaghar: A Space for Intimacy and Co-creation
Within the exhibition, Chapaghar – curated by aqui Thami – offers a dedicated makers’ space. chapaghar (combining “chapakhana” – print shop – and “ghar” – home) centers around the act of printing and the feeling of home, utilizing a photocopier as a tool for intimacy and collaborative creation. Visitors are invited to contribute to the space, blurring the lines between individual and collective expression.
Accompanying Events
the exhibition will be complemented by a colloquium and a fair, further expanding the dialog around zine and comic culture in India. Details regarding dates and speakers for these events can be found on the KNMA website: https://www.knma.co.in/
Worth a look