Vishnu Vardhani Rajan
Body Philosopher
Projects
Exhausted Activist Project
Script, Choreography, Performance
Non-Performance Performance
Script, Choreography, Performance
Eco-Sexual
Energies
Script, Choreography, Performance
бессмыслица
Script, Choreography, Performance
Cricket
Script, Choreography, Performance
OhNoNoMoNaMo
Script, Choreography, Performance
Unarchivals
Script, Choreography, Performance
HAEMA
Script, Choreography, Performance
Utti
Script, Choreography, Performance
Tiger Dance
Script, Choreography, Performance
Garden of Delights
Script, Choreography, Performance
Movement
Script, Choreography, Performance
Rouge et Noir
Script, Choreography, Performance
The Other
Script, Choreography, Performance
Baltic Spice
Script, Choreography, Performance
Foxy
Script, Choreography, Performance
The Crossing
Script, Choreography, Performance
SH The Superhero!
Mask Making, Script, Choreography, Performance
Against Stereotypes
Script, Choreography, Performance
Samsaraa
Script, Choreography, Performance
I am
Indian
Script, Choreography, Performance
Hyderabadi Street Delights
Script, Choreography, Performance
Exhausted Activist Project
Exhausted Activist Project is an ongoing interpretation of xiri tara noir’s graduation work. Each activation lasts a minimum 24 hours going up to 55 hours.
Non-Performance Performance
Non-Performance Performance deliberates on NON-Performativity (being hyper visible while doing everyday chores) as philosophised by Fred-Moten. Activating Questions being core features, it’s Vishnu’s methodology in development, a segway to provoke second order thinking, without bringing any ready-made answers or case studies to think of futurisms.
Eco-Sexual Energies
Eco-Sexual-Energies are explorations of self embracing moments between the cyborg-self with orthopedic enhancements and a witch being birthed by the self as a Cyborg Witch. Each of those explorations may translate into various forms, some as stories that start with ‘When I was married to a tree… ‘ to some into video performances re-enacting the dance of shiva with a serpent coiled around their neck, and others just embodying Arthanareeshwar - అర్థ నారీశ్వర half woman man.
бессмыслица
"бессмыслица" (bessmyslitsa) is a performance that plays with hypervisibility, while exploring counterveillance gimmicks with CZ-Dazzle makeup. Drawing inspiration from stealth styles inspired by the makeup of historically powerful people like Cleopatra, Rudrama Devi and from the women of the people’s war from Telangana region India. Looking backward - Moving forward. An assemblage of Red and Black colours saluting small wars. The physical performance reinterprets the Panopticon.
Cricket
Cricket is a 3rd episode of the performance series entitled 'Play.' Cricket explores consent, Power of the बल्लेबाज (batsperson), going into the pleasures of choosing to play with rules (of cricket.)
OhNoNoMoNaMo
OhNoNoMoNaMo is a protest. An embodiment of disapproval.
Unarchivals
Unarchivals is an ongoing process of collective sewing of a quilt. Each group builds up on the traces of the previous group to create layers. Sow Sew Talk Take - SSTT is a stitch, a style and a space to safely encounter challenges of gender, class, and other traumas while mending with a simple needle thread and waste material that may otherwise go into trash. Groups enjoyed laali (lullabies) sang songs, the entire group held one person rocking them gently in the quilt recreating an indian swing… this quilt a shapeshifter transforms into a lieu of reparations in all it’s meanings.
Haema
Text to come
Utti
The 'Utti', similar to the South American Pinata, is a social game where the players vie to strike down a coveted prize as it tactfully pulled just out of their reach. Hailing from South India, and specifically from the state of Telangana, Utti is a game usually exclusive to the 'privileged' masculine gender of my Indian society - as men are generally assumed privy to possession of the strength and skill essential for reaching high up and striking out at 'the goal'! - a preserve apparently exclusive to the 'Testostostronal'.
'Utti' to me is an ancient, unconscious and un-acknowledged social consensus at play - for in play is our collective and individual guard the lowest, our vulnerability to belief and its reinforcement the highest. It is such games of religiously endorsed non-verbal communication that reinforce the power play of 'genderized' daily life in countries such as India, and where the boundaries lay in the realms of caste, class and status by birth.
In my performance entitled 'Utti' I appropriate this Indian game to explore metaphysical, subliminal aspects of the societies that I originate from and also live in, while also expressing elements of my deeply personal journey up o this point. I open up in my presentation elements of my intersectionality, my religious mix, my place in context of different color spectrum, class, caste, gender and intelligence.
Tiger Dance
MY performance Tiger dance is my appropriation of the street dance performed by men in the (now) state of Telangana. Just as so many attributes that are exclusive to men, freedom to be on the streets almost barechested, smeared with colour, displaying virility, aggression, throwing a challenge defying the fellow competents.
It's performed for the celebrations of the Goddess Mahankali.
The powerful Goddess protected by the mortal men who clear out the streets announcing the arrival of the Goddess. Does a Goddess really need protection ? What if She herself performs the dance of aggression ???
Garden of Delights
I have been on stage all my life, as life is my stage.
To act is to explore aspects of oneself openly allowing those aspects to surface and to be criticized, corrected and yet staying impersonal, while making numerous real, deep connections. I portrayed the role of a TV anchor, whose only pursuit is to up her career.
Movement
A playful performance that elevates the basic human need for movement to it's rightful place in the cosmos.
Moving to survive
Rouge et Noir
An experimentation with masks and the act of masking myself to myself and to the world.
RED
Chère Jeanne Mas, En rouge et noir moi aussi je veux aussi exiler ma peur, En rouge et noir, mes luttes mes faiblesses je les portent comme mes bijoux
The Other
The other : Belonging I once thought was essential to my mental health and my overall happiness. While I other myself too, calling it differentiating myself from you, a show of self-invidualisation, a performance of my uniqueness.
I stand here as I birthed the question - Do I want to belong or recognized ? Do I want you to embrace me as a part of the whole or the other ?
Baltic Spice
Exploring the local ingredients version Helsinki. Cooking Wild.
A full meal
Ihana Kahvila was our performance arena to showcase the food we cooked with the wild ingredients.
Foxie
The whole time I have the mask on, I look upon myself, casting an eye of curiosity, It always feels good. Uncovering aspects of me through disguise.
The Crossing
Hyderabad, a twin city is expanding, Hi-Tech City new addition to Hyderabad.The tech-Businesses engulfing the city. Development bringing more revenue to you all. But I have a question; Where do I go ? My entire tribe ? My cows ? Where will they graze ?
SH
I present to you my SuperHero - SH
Portraying to be a superhero entails bigger social responsibilities even if I do not possess any superpowers.
I Am Indian
I am Vishnu, I am Indian.
I am natural born to the a called India, The Native.
I am natural to this body, The Leader.
Hyderabadi Street Delights
Vishnu's street kitchen evolved into a mini-festival. Aleksi and Janne doing some dirrrty rap.. sure hope the kids in the nearby cookie stand didn't understand English yet.
Vieraanvaraisuuden Väri
An interactive public performance to spark conversations between strangers on the Helsinki metro.
Maria Inkoo - Telling the stories of Maria
Text to come
