Devadeep

Here's more about a recent project. Margherita 29:50 The film observes the abstraction of Margherita’s landscape in Assam across two centuries, spanning from the early 19th century to the present. The work looks at the emerging extractive ambitions, rise of the industrial complex, capitalistic greed and moral death. Moving between archival memory and contemporary decay, the work frames the landscape’s transformation through mechanized movements and industrial rhythm. Narrated through the voices of a colonial engineer, a steam engine, a flat-bed truck, and the landscape itself, the film follows the occupation and metamorphosis of a rainforest, shaped within colonial desire, industrial order, systemic neglect and ecological collapse. This film was commissioned by The Packet @the_packet for their curatorial framework Water Under the Bridge / A Bridge Under Water, for the Singapore Biennale @sgbiennale With much gratitude towards my collaborators, Chandan Biswas @imagemusictext for creating a space for the film's conceptual development and critical discourse; Abhijit Chetia @moi_lohit for giving life to the film through his sound; Devajit Moran @devajitmoran for guiding the film with his incredible ground-work and resource network; Rohitaswa Gupta @rohi_t11 for patiently understanding and illustrating an abstract fascination (Bullet Raja). And of course, much thanks to the incredible folks at The Packet Halik @colombedouin , Imaad @imaadmajeed , Mayun @mayunkalu , Sandev @sandevhandy and Meghal for their trust. Margherita is presented as part of my channel Environmental Intelligence within the Packet’s Internet Café at the Singapore Biennale, and was screened at Alserkal Warehouse 46 as part of the Alserkal Art Week.

Installation views from recently concluded ‘We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards’ by Devadeep Gupta (@vevaveev ) curated by Anushka Rajendran (@anushkarajendran ) at WH 46, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai during Alserkal art week. Through collaborative, and conversational methodologies, Devadeep Gupta investigates how forest-centric oral traditions, and local forms of knowledge nurture balance among humans, more-than-human entities, and their interdependent ecologies. His work highlights the inter-generational resilience of the inhabitants of the land as a form of reparative resistance within sites of ecological collapse, reframing survival as both an aesthetic, and ethical act. This project gathers anecdotal, speculative and documentary traces of Margherita’s transformation from a lush rainforest to an environmental, and public-health crisis. An ad hoc filter assembled from discarded and scrap textile by local communities to extract oil from land that was taken away from them becomes the protagonist, loosely anchoring to it moving and still images from the rainforest alongside sonic residues and field recordings that feature voices that are human, creaturely, botanical and of the elements of the earth. On the mezzanine, a critically fabulated letter describing colonial conditions in Margherita forms a sheer veil across archival and found footage that supports its claims Our special thanks to @alserkalavenue and @indiaartfair for their generous support. Photo Credits: Devadeep Gupta

Devadeep Gupta investigates the intertwined histories of colonial extraction, ecological fragility, and local resilience in Assam’s Dehing-Patkai rainforest. Through film, sound, and archival fragments, his work reveals the landscape’s stories of endurance, resistance, and quiet repair. Drawing on decades of oral knowledge, Gupta listens to the birds, the communities, the shifting ground itself—reminding us: “If we don’t look up, their voices might be lost in the skies forever.” Visit WH 46 for a deep, sensory encounter with a forest negotiating both survival and transformation—“We must therefore turn our attention skywards,” on view until November 23. For #AlserkalArtWeek, this guest project is presented by @prameya_art_foundation and curated by @anushkarajendran

Back in early 2023, over an afternoon coffee, while discussing the cultural landscapes and histories of Assam, Akshay Mahajan (@lecercle ) asked me, “You know that Assam’s Margherita was named by an Italian engineer to honour the Italian queen, right?” “What? I knew the name was Italian, but an actual Italian came here and did this?” I smirked. The precipitates of that conversation formed into a project abstract, and the research began in the waning months of 2023. Spanning mines, rainforests, elephant corridors and oil-rig sites, the project saw multiple participations and collaborations, both in practical research and intellectual discourse. The framework of the project was developed under the Prince Clause Moving Narratives mentorship, where an excellent group of mentors and cohorts shaped various parts of the project through inputs, questions and advice. It was during the mentorship, that I actually got the confidence to develop the project as smaller chaptered anthologies, instead of producing one whole outcome. The project, We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards, as curator Anushka Rajendran writes, assembles anecdotal and rebellious ruptures in the everyday, circadian meta-cultural actions and excavations from archives that are active sites which reiterate their agency in the contemporary. Much grateful to Prameya Art Foundation for the Discover 08 Grant, that saw the realisation of the second chapter of this project in 2024, and an exhibition in India Art Fair 2024. Many thanks to Anushka Rajendran for curating the work in India Art Fair 2024 as well as recently in the Alserkal Art Week. Much thanks to Alserkal Avenue for being generous enough to host the project. And of course, thanks to Akshay, for that conversation in Arles. We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards Curated by @anushkarajendran Presented by @prameya_art_foundation Hosted by @alserkalartsfoundation Credits - Sound Recordings, Design and Mix - Abhijit Chetia @moi_lohit Research Assistants - Devajit Moran @devajitmoran , Avinash Das @sunny.cr2112 Local Resource - Sanatan Manjhi Bijoy Panika Anamika Panika Production Assistant - Binita Limbani @binilimbani

‘We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards’ Devadeep Gupta 🗓️ 16 to 23 November 🕙 10 AM to 10 PM 📍 WH 46, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE Presented by Prameya Art Foundation with the kind support of Alserkal Avenue and India Art Fair. This exhibition pieces together the long and complicated story of Margherita in Assam a rainforest once thriving, reshaped by more than 150 years of mining. His practice investigates how colonial extraction, state neglect, and present day cartels have transformed the land, disrupted its ecologies, and displaced native communities. Curator: Anushka Rajendran Project Coordinator: Satyam Yadav Logistics Support: Ashok Kanti, Himanshu Gautam Production Assistant: Binita Limbani Research Assistants: Devajit Moran, Avinash Das Sound Recording and Design: Abhijit Chetia Local Resource: Sanatan Manjhi, Bijoy Panika, Anamika Panika

EAEFF OUTPOST SCREENINGS // 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 by 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗚𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗮 | 8 min 47 sec | 2020 SCREENING at Experimental Film Festival presented by National Gallery of Modern Art, Kolkata, from 3pm to 5pm, 17 - 22 June, 2025 (except Mondays) at the Viewing Room of Old Currency Building, as a part of the exhibition "Material as Metaphor – A Dialogue of Art Forms”, executed by Basu Foundation and curated by Sayantan Maitra Boka. 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗚𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗮 Devadeep Gupta is a multidisciplinary artist from Assam who explores regional ecological uncertainties. Through provocative observation and critical fabulation, he focuses on the delicate interrelationship between people, their heritage and the land they inhabit. Functioning in the intersectional space between conceptual and documentary, he engages the tools of collaborative performance, film and sculpture to illustrate the outtakes of his practice. @vevaveev @richa.agarwal09 @sahuushmita @sayanthropocene

Open Call for Young Artists An intensive education program invites applications from individuals and groups in the Northeast to explore the ambiguous spaces between institutional knowledge and lived experiences. Using diverse artistic mediums—painting, sculpture, video, archiving, performance, and socially engaged practices, to list a few—participants will navigate these intersections. This engagement offers lectures by artists and academics, along with continuous mentorship to develop creative interventions. It will culminate in a pop-up exhibition showcasing participants’ works. KNMA, in collaboration with Mizoram University, supports young artists in spilling embodied knowledge beyond the stated. Apply through @knmaindia bio

Devadeep Gupta @vevaveev is based out of Guwahati, his works explore the nuances of the shared relationship between people and their land. Engaging with localized traditions, Devadeep critically examines mainstream perspectives and institutional interventions. Extending his personal practice, Devadeep works in collaboration with fellow regional practitioners to develop and nurture an incubatory regional artistic ecosystem. Watch Devadeep's films on 18th Dec at @bcaf.organization Normalisation of a Disaster (2020) Absent River (2023) Coal Queen (2024) Full programme out on Friday! Stay tuned.

We are absolutely delighted to announce the WINNER of the PRAF X India Art Fair Discover 08 Grant! – DEVADEEP GUPTA 📢 Based in Guwahati, Devadeep’s (@vevaveev ) work engages with social issues in the contemporary using photographs, film, found objects, performance and intervention to explore local ecological problems, urban planning and municipal oversight. Huge congratulations to Devadeep! 👏 We can’t wait to engage with your work through the Discover 08 Grant! 🌍

Neon lights in a summer storm. Berlino, 2024

The village-earth near the rainforest’s edge remains soaked with droplets for eons after the pulsating waves of monsoon. Sometimes, following the nights of the brightest moon, the droplets come alive, shimmering neon in defiance of the pervasive electroluminescence.

OPEN CALL ALERT The call for applications for the second edition of Strengthening Networks Amongst Artists in North East India (SNANE-II) is now open! Join fellow artists in a five-day workshop in Shillong, an incubatory space for artistic development and constructive dialogue. Including past participants and mentors from the Fully Funded Residencies and Ptenopus Magazine, the workshop is designed for participants to engage in critical and practical discourse concerning artistic and cultural practices, and to address key issues in the region. The aim is to find novel solutions to sustain a creative arts practice. NE artists from all backgrounds, within their first five years of making and creating, are encouraged to apply. We want to hear about your experiences as we forge new partnerships and collaborations through the workshop. Deadline Submit your application by 11:59 pm on 15 July 2024 via the google forms link Illustration by @joshuasailo