Jesse James
Art comes in all shapes, sizes, forms, and disciplines. Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the U.K. is currently showcasing a dynamic dance and light painting performance known as Bhangra Lexicon. The performance is the brainchild of World Bhangra Day founder Hardeep Sahota. The performance originated in Punjab by farming communities, taking place during the spring harvest festival of Vaisakhi.
The exhibition also includes a variety of disciplines, including Irish dancing and breakdancing. Yorkshire Sculpture Park released a statement regarding the exhibition. It reads: “Sahota has explored, documented and cataloged 300 dance movements and gestures from Bhangra and its sub-genres to create a unique record that gathers together a rich body of knowledge, ensuring its preservation for future generations.”
The statement goes on to say, “The project’s exploration of the relationship between movement and image to present a formal ‘repertoire’ of Bhangra steps also acts as an online resource for learners to inscribe into their practice.” Yorkshire Sculpture Park added, “Sahota’s work strives to honour and extol this rich narrative through embedded research, vibrant performance, and the meaningful bringing together of performers and communities.”
The exhibition spotlights the costumes and cultural identities of each participant as well. Take a closer look at the images, and then head over to Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s website to find out more about the light painting exhibition. In the meantime, keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more from the art department coming very soon.
Photos via Tim Smith/Yorkshire Sculpture Park
