Performance at Sanatkada Festival, Lucknow
With the Alliance Française of Lucknow in partnership with the French Institute of New Delhi and the NGO Sanatkada (2019)
The World Map Made of Clay Lamps
I had this idea while visiting a Dewa village with the Sanatkada team.
The Making
Dewa potters use local clay mixed with ash and sand. They knead it with their feet, then with their hands. After removing all solid particles, they shape the clay on a potter's wheel. This work requires great skill. The pottery is then fired on the ground, heated with dried cow dung cakes.
Why This Map?
I chose the Peters projection because it shows the true proportions of countries. The Mercator map we see everywhere enlarges Northern countries and shrinks Southern countries. In reality, Southern countries are much larger.
The Project
The map is made of hundreds of small clay lamps, filled with mustard oil and wicks. What matters most is not the final result, but creating this work together. People naturally offer their help. This gesture recalls the Festival of Lights celebrated in India.
The Meaning
These clay lamps are natural, simple, and fragile, like us, human beings. But they contain light. Light is a universal symbol: it represents creation, knowledge, and civilization. Without light, there is no life. We need all the lights in the world to move forward. We all depend on each other.
The encounter with the public was a powerful moment. At each stage, something profound was revealed.
