Ravi Agarwal

Ravi Agarwal is an artist, environmental activist, writer and curator. He has pursued an art practice integrally with his other pursuits. He is the founder of the well known Indian NGO Toxics Link and has been internationally awarded for his work. His earlier work, in the documentary oeuvre, encompasses ‘nature’, ‘work,’ ‘labour,’ and the ‘street,’ while more recent work has been traversing questions of the self and ecological sustainability based on explorations of ‘personal ecologies.’ He now works with photography, video and installation.

Agarwal has shown in several international shows including Documenta XI (2002), Kassel , Germany, Horn Please (Berne 2007) Indian Highway (2009 ongoing) as well as several national shows and solo shows. Agarwal recently co-curated a twin city public art show, Yamuna-Elbe.Public.Art.Outreach. He writes extensively on ecological issues, and is also founder of the leading Indian environmental NGO Toxics Link. He is an Engineer by training.

(Profile by Ravi Agarwal)

Ravi Agarwal

My childhood self, located in a family of women, was a multiple of differing types of negotiations, but many based on my being a biological male. Growing up with a sister who is a confirmed feminist, this was always forefronted, even as I struggled to relate with aspects of myself which are considered ‘feminine.’ My maleness, its ‘gaze’ and the inherent power relationship which societally exists between the sexes was presupposed and imprinted into my psyche, even as I resisted being stereotyped into my being a ‘male.’ Where lies my experience of myself, and how much did it belong to my being a male, in spite of ‘femininities’ within, can I even ever know?

(Text by Ravi Agarwal)