Museum of Memories

A solo show of Anjaneyulu G

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Oh the poignancy of instruments that once turned, twisted and screamed but are now deaf dumb lame and mute. There is something fresh about decay. It’s happening right now. Just like about memories. We are making them up right now. Should we collate, catalogue and document them. May be yes we should. For others that come after us on the highway there should be something interesting to look at and wonder how quaint someone else’s scrap is! But collecting odds and ends is probably something like squirrels hoarding nuts. Merely an instinct.

Tape recorders and what, decanters? Tea shops and blaring music? Vinyls and C90s? Odds and ends, bric-a-brac. Onion baskets and tea kettles, what melodies forever frozen in silent magnetic alignment! Once screaming and now silent. The scrap that we have strewn along the highways of memory is poignant, irrevocable and of incredible variety.

    - Anjaneyulu G

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Hailing from a small village in the Nalgonda district of Telangana, Anjaneyulu’s artistic practice takes shape through his countless experiences as a young boy growing up in a rural setting. The use of objects-still life is fundamental to Anjaneyulu’s oeuvre. Objects often carry the weight of distinct memories that is reflective of the times they have endured. Experiences like war, love and celebration has been witnessed by objects throughout; be it a collective or a personal experience, all are remembered through the memorabilia they give rise to.

Focusing on objects of everyday use, commonly found in small towns and villages, the artist uses hyper-realism to capture the essence of the mundane and give them an iconic status. The artist isolates the objects in his works that are often placed against a flat wall with a sharp shadow that adjoins it, adding depth to his paintings. In this show, captured in great detail and with precision are simple objects, a tape recorder, an onion basket, tea kettles and more which are perceived independently of their surroundings. The artist creates a sense of timelessness around the objects that are associated with his memories that tie him to his roots.

Through an exploration of Anjaneyulu’s personal memories and intellect, we attempt to dive deep into the myriad stories that are told by each of his objects, creating an archive of stories and diverse experiences. The artist’s technique places the objects in this collection in isolation, they belong to not only to the artist, but also to the viewer. This alienation allows the viewer to experience the objects in their own right, associating their own memories with each. While a tea kettle takes the artist back to his youth, the lantern identifies with the reminiscence of an adolescence past. Anjaneyulu guides us, through his nostalgia, to our own memories, lost in the layers of time, lost in our archive, in our own Museum of Memories.