V.I.R.A.L

V.I.R.A.L is an annual series of large scale tapestries of the most significant memes of a year, selected by the artist. For a species of storytellers memes have the power to convey a message in split seconds and create or divide opinions. At the same time they do not have material worth; the same meme would be copied and recycled many times by different people, different political factions, different ideologies. Each weaving in their own narrative, their humour and their interpretation of reality, values and truth, mass communicating and spreading it through the world wide web.

In this ongoing series Nikahetiya attempts to take the memes out of their digital enclosure, and bring them into the physical world. The technique which is used to realise this is weaving; in bygone times, a victor of a battle, a ruler, or person of rank would use weaving in form of tapestry to tell a story – similar to a modern day meme, this story would be told from one single perspective. The incredibly labour intensive and costly process of creating such a piece of art propaganda would give value and ultimately significance to a story, making it “real”. Nikahetiya combines these two elements; taking away any visible text or meaning from the memes, leaving them in their bare form, taking them out from the immaterial digital sphere and giving them material value, through an ancient artisanal process.

V.I.R.A.L is a tapestry for the 21st century, a chronological history. Handmade memes, where symbolism cannot be decoded. It is just what we see, what we feel, lines, colours, shapes and textures. Objects devoid of meaning, just carrying value, but in a different form and realm.

Works created in collaboration with Reyas Ali Studio, Kolkata, India.