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Anjana Kothamachu

The Phantasmagoric Menagerie

I

1.15 minutes

II

4.26 minutes

Phantasmagoria can be described as a set of illusions, or a sequence of illusions. The term has been used in various contexts. Psychologist Melanie Klein envisioned phantasy as the hub of the of the mind-body nexus.  Phantasy is the psychic representation of instinct. The term “menagerie” refers to exotic objects or animals put up on display.

I constructed a video of mobile/ animated mirrors in the sterile made-up environment of water, and strange, moving circular shapes and tubes. Each mirror opens up a different landscape or setting. There is an overall kaleidoscopic effect of multiple phantasmic images overlaying each other while existing as separate images.

This is what I thought as I made the work: the universe we traverse is a story of our own creation. The self is an assemblage of numerous subjective experiences and universal events. They form the yarn for spinning my artistic tale.  The experiment and task is to weave together multiple inner and outer realms of existence to reveal nuances, facilitates aesthetic experiences, and individualistic readings.