Chinindian exhibition in Auburn (27 February ”“ 27 March)

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to see the melting and mixing of cultures then you ought to be in Auburn area where multiculturalism exists in its true form that one witnesses at the grass root level.

There is a growing community of Chinese and Indian families in the Auburn area. The Chindian of Auburn exhibition and project aims to showcase the similarities and differences between both cultures and celebrate their history and traditions.

The exhibition includes photo, video and text exhibition exploring the stories of Chinese Indian mixed marriages, celebrating a intertwining of cultures, religions and families. Chindian is relatively new term and loosely refers to families of mixed ethnicity, who trace their ancestry to both China and India. It is a term most commonly used in Malaysia and Singapore where the two communities have had the chance to coexist and mingle.

Building on The Chindian Diaries project , the artist Kevin Bathman curates a cross-cultural storytelling project on mixed heritage communities between the Chinese and Indian culture bringing the stories of both these communities in Auburn and to a wider audience. Bathman initiated the project to trace his own roots and explore his cross cultural identity from a mixed heritage – Chinese and Indian. The cross-cultural storytelling project, explores issues such as self-identity, belonging, family, cross culture and more.

The Chindians of Auburn aims to showcase the similarities between both cultures and celebrate their history and traditions. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Kevin Bathman is a social entrepreneur, designer, communications specialist, event curator, storyteller, writer and social change advocate. He is interested in using creativity to address environmental, cultural and social justice issues, and believes that the arts is an untapped avenue for catalysing change. He is a passionate diversity advocate and is interested in engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. In 2013, he co-founded Carnival of the Bold, a movement of arts for social change. Since 2012, Kevin has been researching the history, connections and cross-cultural stories between the Chinese and Indian culture for his project, The Chindian Diaries.

The Chindians of Auburn also showcases two stories of Priya Gauri Anandan who shares about her mixed heritage background, and recent migration journey to Australia. Shivanjani and Shivanesh Lal, Australian Fijian Indian siblings who share their migrational story and friendship with their longtime Chinese neighbour, the Ma family in Auburn. The exhibition will also include short videos of this unique culture, exploring the stories of Chinese and Indian mixed heritage, celebrating a intertwining of cultures, religions and families.

Two short documentary will also be shown:  Director Charlene Chung’s Cheena Manaivi (Singapore): is about an interracial family – of an Indian and Chinese marriage, although being married for close to fifteen years now, there are still people who refuse to accept them as one, and to love them for whom they are. Cheena Manaivi shows to what extent one would compromise and give in to a different racial and religious culture as well as finding an identity within. 11mins 06 secs

The Last o fthe Chinamen (India):  Thousands of Chinese people working for the East India Company settled in Mumbai’s Mazgaon dock area in the 19th century. The lack of an Indian passport, a backlash from the 1962 Indo-China war and better economic opportunities elsewhere, led to a sharp decline in their numbers. Today, only a handful of the Chinese call Mazgaon home. 5 mins 21 secs

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dancing Peacock   – Dance Choreography & Performance by Aruna Gandhi with   Music Composition & Rendition by Nicholas Ng  – A collaborative performance featuring Indian Classical dance to a soundscape inspired by Chinese music. In conjunction with the launch of The Chindians of Auburn project on 27 February 2016 at 1.30pm. Aruna Gandhi is a performing artiste, choreographer and educator who specialises in the Indian-classical dance style of Bharatanatyam. It is a dance form that weaves together various rhythmic patterns, hand-gestures, facial expressions, movements and music to express thoughts and feelings and narrate stories.

Nicholas Ng brings together the ancient and the modern in music through the use of traditional instruments and electronic sound. His style is influenced by his roots as an Australian composer of Chinese descent and often implements old”“world Asian modality in a contemporary ”˜western’ context towards the creation of a fresh, unique and highly energised sound.

(Venue: PEACOCK GALLERY AND AUBURN ARTS STUDIO Auburn Botanic Gardens Corner of Chiswick and Chisholm Roads, Auburn. Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 11 to 4pm)

Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=6332