Overview participating exhibitions
Making Oneself
2015
Making Oneself
Supranav Dash
Marginal Trades (2011-2015)
In the MARGINAL TRADESseries, Indian photographer Supranav Dash transforms a 19th century ethno-photographic project into a 21st century social investigation. Between 1868 and 1875, the British administration published The People of India, an eight-volume ethnic survey and classification of British colonial subjects. One and a half centuries later, Dash systematically records the rapidly vanishing trades, businesses and professions in India out of the almost 500 types of ‘castes, costumes and occupations’ registered in these monumental publications. He turns what was once hailed as photography’s most significant contribution to social science into a simple social survey, which highlights the medium’s potential power in differentiating, ordering and controlling the others as well as contributing to social change.
Biography
Supranav Dash (India, 1977) was born and brought up in and around Kolkata, India. He is currently based in New York City. His work examines the notions of gender, race, identity, displacement, the caste-class struggle in the context of modern Indian culture and globalisation initiative. Dash has had group exhibitions internationally – in London, Florence, Bologna, Kuala Lumpur, Colorado, Los Angeles and New York City. He is an Eddie Adams Barnstorm XXVI Alumni and has been selected for American Photography 30 and the Aperture Summer Open. He was nominated for the 2014 PDN’s 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch and as a Critical Mass Finalist. His work has been shortlisted for the Lucie Foundation Scholarship Award, the Global SOFA Grant and the Kontinent Awards.