Borderline
Rachel Kalpana James – 2012
“Borderline” is a two-channel digital video projection that offers, on one screen, a view of the nightly border-closing ceremony that takes place in the few feet between eastern Pakistan at Wagah and northern India at Amritsar.
In association with the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and Keystone Properties, Modern Fuel is proud to present Rachel Kalpana James’ “Borderline” as an off-site video installation. Modern Fuel is excited to partner with the festival again after the success of its presentation of experimental video in the 2011 edition of the festival. The partnership between Modern Fuel and the Festival is meant to promote new media and experimental work, add to the dynamic cultural scene in Kingston, and represent the breadth of artistic activity in Canada.
Rachel Kalpana James’ art practice is inspired by her South Asian heritage, immigrant history and the search for belonging. “Borderline” is a two-channel digital video projection that offers, on one screen, a view of the nightly border-closing ceremony that takes place in the few feet between eastern Pakistan at Wagah and northern India at Amritsar. Juxtaposed on a separate screen is a contrasting view of the artist’s solitary and surprisingly casual walk across the India/Pakistan border, as permitted by the bittersweet privilege of the right documentation.
About the Artist
Rachel Kalpana James—
Rachel Kalpana James explores constructed systems and ideas of language, history and memory primarily through installation – using bookmaking, photography, video, digital technologies and performance. She has worked as a cultural activist/artist with many grassroots organizations to develop a strong community centred on contemporary art and cultural diversity. She was the Co-Director of Desh Pardesh, Toronto’s groundbreaking South Asian Festival of Arts and Politics, and a founding member and Director of Toronto’s South Asian Visual Arts Collective (SAVAC), the only artist-run centre in Canada supporting South Asian professional visual artists.