Jeetin Rangher

Fishy Target:
Dharana: This is one of Patañjali’s eight limbs of yoga and translates as concentration. We need to focus our thoughts on a single point or object of contemplation, directing all our energy towards that point alone, in order to discipline the mind and begin the process of meditation. From there we can move on to dhyana, where energy flows in both directions, before reaching samadhi, where subject and object merge (or rather, we realise that duality is an illusion).

In Indian Mythology Mahabharata there is an Interesting story where Arjuna had to target fish eye by looking down in a tub filled with water, he believed in his skill and training, he is looking at the reflection of the fish to actually target its eye. The artist is hypothetically relating it to the current power hunger in our society. The power is hypnotizing and push to keep going without even realizing what it is targeting.

One of the biggest obstacles to being fully present and allowing our higher Consciousness to lead the path, is our cultural, mass-scale obsession with what I’d call “more and instant.” More stuff, more food, more information, more news, more Facebook friends – all just now. Have you noticed how we are frequently impressed by people who are very informed, hyper-busy, have little time, and multi-task constantly? Wow, we think to ourselves – she must be important! And with globalization and amazing technology, we are now essentially overcome with having and knowing more, and having it easily, instantaneously, simultaneously and incessantly. We are so busy that there is no time for doing things that really matter. We’re so informed that we don’t know what’s truly relevant. We’re so over-stimulated that we cannot fully feel. And we’re doing so many things at once that we’re not doing anything at all. (Sometimes I wonder if this is why we’re in recession – so we can stop and simply reflect.)

Fishy Target / Jeetin Rangher/2019 / 4’:00’’

Jeetin Rangher is a Bangalore-based multidisciplinary artist and activist. With an education in painting and design, his interest in the arts is nurtured by his sensitivity to the surrounding, nature and the social environment. He initiated the Green World
Art Festival in November 2010 which continued in 2011 and 2012. He has been working with different communities in conflict zones in Kashmir (India) as a part of 'Healing Hands - Art Intervention in Conflict Zones'. His performances are responses and critical reflections on our social, cultural and political behaviour. The artist has been intensively involved with various communities and kids with special
needs, conducting workshops for/with them. His project Art Adda (under IFA’s project 560) was an intervention in found space in a heavily populated and cosmopolitan Bangalore. His ongoing project Soch Studio, is an open studio based in Bangalore that invites artists to act, research and react to the contemporary art scene, to meet for discussions, exhibit their work and perform, or just catch up over a cup of tea and discuss art and in addition to offering short-term residency programs. More recently, he has focused on creating site-specific performances for various platforms in South Asia such as Serendipity Arts Festival, Colomboscope, Jaipur Art Summit to name but a few.