Four anthems, one lifetime: Panjeri Artist Union’s art of a divided history

Those above the age of 75 in Habra of West Bengal are people who have sung four different national anthems in a single lifetime.

The Core Idea
- In Habra, West Bengal, people over 75 have lived through four different national anthems in a single lifetime.
- Their lives spanned shifting identities: British India → East Pakistan → Bangladesh → India.
- This unique experience of repeated division and displacement forms the heart of Panjeri Artist Union’s art.

The Exhibition
- Venue: Coir Godown, Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi – the largest Biennale site.
- Duration: Part of the 110-day festival, running until March 31, 2026.
- Collective: Founded in Banipur (near Kolkata) in 2022, now comprising 14 artists from diverse fields—visual art, design, literature, cinema, photography, and music.
- Medium: Jute is the primary material, symbolizing both livelihood and decline (due to industrialization and globalization).

Themes in the Art
- Partition & Refugee Experience: Works reflect displacement during 1947 and the 1971 war.
- Recurring Motifs: Net-like grids symbolize instability and uncertainty.
- Resistance & Ritual: Bright garments inspired by Assamese Hindu ritual art, representing cultural resistance against dominance.
- Personal Narratives: Each artist transforms chapters of lived experience into art.

Beyond the Gallery
- The Union engages audiences through video works, performance art, and presentations.
- Their aim: to communicate stories of resilience and division to both art lovers and the wider public.

Biennale Context
- Curated by Nikhil Chopra with HH Spaces, Goa.
- Theme: “for the time being”.
- Features 66 artists/collectives from 25+ countries, across 22 venues in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Ernakulam, and Willingdon Island.

This exhibition is not just about art—it’s about memory, identity, and survival across fractured histories.