Display #1 (Battersea Park – London) is an installation made up of glass jars filled with soapy water that was used for washing feet, along with soiled towels and handwritten notes containing the thoughts and personal details of various individuals. It also includes enamel basins and jugs, soap, and army gear neatly arranged on shelves. A monitor showing a video of swirling murky water is part of the installation.

All the objects are remnants of an earlier feet-washing performance titled “What have I done to you?” 2011, which inspired this work. The way the installation is presented resembles a war museum display, where objects are removed from their original context and reduced to factual labels. After visiting several war museums in the UK, Baptist began questioning how documentation can both reveal and conceal information. The clean, clinical vitrines give the objects a sense of authority, shaped by expert interpretation and bias.

The installation also pays tribute to the often-forgotten contributions of Indian and other colonial troops during the World Wars. By placing everyday objects in a museum-like setting, the artist gives them historical weight and questions how value and meaning are constructed. The bottles, notes, and army items invite viewers to reflect on their origins and significance. The monitor resembles the educational videos commonly shown in museums. The black-and-white video of swirling murky water suggests how history is remembered, disturbed, and reshaped over time.

Display #1 (Battersea Park – London), was developed during Baptist Coelho’s Artist-in-Residence, supported by and at the Delfina Foundation, London, 2011-12. The residency was also supported by Creative India Foundation, Hyderabad; Pump House Gallery, London. In 2012, the installation was first exhibited as part of the artist’s two-person solo exhibition, Social States at Pump House Gallery, London. The exhibition was curated by George Unsworth. Display #2 (Columbia Global Paris Center), 2026 is also part of the series.