8 months ago
Dhiraj Rabha's Installation Explores Assam's Insurgency
Dhiraj Rabha is an artist from Assam who grew up in a detention camp for former ULFA members.
He created an installation called 'The Quiet Weight of Shadows' for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
This artwork shows fragments of an Assamese household covered in soot, along with old newspapers, books, and photos from the 1990s insurgency.
There's also a garden of glowing carnivorous plants with speakers playing old broadcasts about the ULFA movement.
The installation includes watchtowers where visitors can watch interviews with former ULFA members.
Rabha's goal is to share the stories of people who lived in these camps, which are different from what the state and media usually show.
He wants to highlight the unique experiences of those who lived through the insurgency.
Dhiraj Rabha's installation 'The Quiet Weight of Shadows' at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale explores Assam's insurgency and its impact on communities.
The artwork includes fragments of a soot-covered Assamese household, archival materials, and photographs depicting life in detention camps.
A garden of carnivorous plants under UV light, with speakers broadcasting old ULFA movement broadcasts, symbolizes the power dynamics of news and information.
Eight watchtowers modeled after detention camp structures feature video interviews with former ULFA members.
Rabha's film 'Whispers Beneath the Ashes' (2025) is part of the installation, departing from linear storytelling to reflect on his experiences.
- Who
- Dhiraj Rabha, an artist from Assam
- What
- An installation titled 'The Quiet Weight of Shadows' exploring Assam's insurgency
- Where
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale, across 22 venues in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Willingdon Island, and Ernakulam
- When
- The installation is part of the ongoing sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which opened on December 12
- Why
- To document and reflect on the lives and experiences of people affected by the insurgency in Assam, particularly those in detention camps
Key facts
- Artist
- Dhiraj Rabha
- Installation Title
- The Quiet Weight of Shadows
- Location
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale
- Biennale Edition
- Sixth
- Biennale Duration
- December 12 to ongoing
- Artist's Birthplace
- Borali Gaon, Assam
- Artist's Upbringing
- Former ULFA detention camp in Goalpara
- Project Start Year
- 2021
Quotes
Dhiraj Rabha
Artiste and creator of the installation 'The Quiet Weight of Shadows'
“I spent my entire childhood and youth inside the camp, that was normal for me. It was only when I came out of the camp to study at Shantiniketan I realised that our way of living was not normal. The rest of the world wasn't living inside tall bamboo walls secured by taller watchtowers.”
assamtribune.com
“When I lived inside the detention camp, I would often look at the guards inside these watchtowers. They could look at the outside world and inside the camp at the same time. Now I feel I am playing the role of a watchtower.”
assamtribune.com
