Vickie Aravindhan (Los Angeles, CA) is a queer Indian-Chinese Singaporean artist, curator, big eater, and sometimes singer based in Los Angeles exploring the ramifications of assimilation and hybridization as a result of colonial diaspora and the functions of myth as history, codes and truth. She mainly works with, video, installation and sculpture. Never opposed to play, experimenting, dialogue and building community.
Vickie Aravindhan (Los Angeles, CA) | November 2021
This second iteration of a Yali (Hindu temple dragon) lives here as a guardian of future passages in response to Edison Peñafiel's piece, Ni Aqui, Ni Alla (neither here nor there) in this room, protecting the subjects' backs in the projection who are on a perpetual journey. As someone who is in the process of immigrating to United States as well as being a granddaughter to 4 immigrant peoples from South India and South China to Singapore, she found many of the themes she continues to explore, intersecting with Peñafiel's investigations on diaspora, forgotten histories and of subjugated knowledge as a result of colonialism. The Yali is also a commonly found cultural symbol/object often stolen or removed as artifacts and placed in a museological context with very little information on their origin stories. In this case, the Yali serves as a steward and guardian in Elsewhere's living body.
Vickie Aravindhan (Los Angeles, CA) | November 2021
The third and final iteration of the Yali mask series is situated in the attic. This Yali is the softest in build and material, and was made is response to Justin Rabidu's, Air Mail and his legacy as an artist and citizen of the world. His contribution to Elsewhere exists here in the attic where it is arguably the quietest, most contemplative site of the museum. Here, the Yali will serve as a guardian to Justin's memory as well as all future peoples who reside in the attic and after as they return/journey on.
Vickie Aravindhan (Los Angeles, CA) | November 2021
This first iteration of the Yali (Hindu temple guardian) is made with collection wood. As it takes its shape and 'body', vitalized by the richness of Elsewhere's sociocultural history, the Yali's animacy in this case is activated by its role and duty as a guardian of the entry way to Elsewhere's living body. Yalis are mythological hybrid figures of the lion, elephant, griffin, and dragon, typically found in Hindu temple entry ways across India, South Asia and South East Asia. They are also commonly stolen as artifacts taken out of place and reinstated in museological contexts, with very little to no information of their beginnings. Considering all this, Vickie's hope is to introduce a familiar/guardian who has found its origin story here at Elsewhere to protect its peoples, histories, cultures and futures.
Vickie Aravindhan (Los Angeles, CA) | November 2021
This series of rattles are inspired by Yaksha/Yakshi (nature spirits of fertility and the earth) fertility rattles. Vickie's idea was to incorporate a sense of play, and community engagement by creating a series of rattles with patterns embossed using pieces of Elsewhere's bountiful toy collection. Guests were encouraged to find each rattles' corresponding toy using it as inspiration to glaze as they wished, leaving their marks and contributions to the series forever. Future guests/artists/peoples are encouraged to use these as "creativity" rattles when one feels inspiration is dry.
