“If it would only end…”

2009 | Audio/video: 3 min 50 sec | Photo: LAMO, Leh

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The fight for the ownership of the Siachen Glacier, between India and Pakistan started in 1984 and continues to this day. The audio/video, “If it would only end…”, explores the past and present of the conflict, through the fabric, food and varied items, that soldiers have worn and consumed during their posting.

The starting point for this video was a conversation the artist had with Harish Kapadia, a prolific mountaineer and writer. He wished for the conflict to end and for the glacier to return back to a white endless scape for mountaineers to explore. In the video, personal possessions and commodities appear to mysteriously move in a controlled formation. This glacial saga persists and the constant shifting of items appears to accumulate and eventually form an infinite sign. Magically each item from the infinite sign disappears, to leave behind a white empty space. “If it would only end…”, raises hope and questions, if there could be an end to this conflict?