Kolkata: As Baguiati Rail Pukur United Club celebrates the 73rd year of its Durga Puja, the club presents an evocative artistic installation based on the theme ‘Collage’, bringing together art, society, memory and the changing nature of communication.
Conceptualised by artist Somnath Tamli, the entire artistic pavilion has been created using thousands of kilos of recycled newspapers, transforming an everyday material into an immersive work of art. Individual newspaper sheets, words, photographs and textures come together to form the pandal itself, making the structure a physical representation of the theme.
The concept of ‘Collage’ also finds a deep connection with the mythology of Maa Durga. According to traditional narratives, different deities contributed their divine powers and weapons to create the complete form of Goddess Durga. The pavilion interprets this coming together of individual elements as a metaphor for the strength of collective power.
According to the traditional narrative, Maa Durga was created through the collective divine energies of the gods, with different deities contributing their powers and weapons. Among those traditionally associated with these contributions are Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Varuna, Vayu, Agni, Yama, Kubera and Surya.
Each divine contribution represents an individual fragment of power. Yet, when brought together, these fragments create the complete and formidable form of Maa Durga. This coming together of different elements to create something greater becomes one of the central interpretations of ‘Collage’.
The same thought is carried forward through the installation, which also pays tribute to inspirational figures including Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray, Satyendra Nath Bose, Matangini Hazra, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda. Their diverse contributions come together to represent another ‘collage’ of Bengal and India’s cultural, intellectual and social heritage.
The newspaper itself becomes a nostalgic element of the installation. Scenes depicting newspapers being loaded in bulk and distributed on cycles recreate the familiar newspaper culture of an earlier era, while also reflecting on how digital media has transformed the way people consume and share information today.
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