Belated

In spring 2020 Autograph commissioned Chandra to create a new artwork in response to the wider context of the Covid-19 pandemic for our project Care | Contagion | Community — Self & Other. In Belated, language, dance and cultural traditions are woven together in a poetic short film – inspired by the silenced bells of Chandra's local church in the historic rural market town of Totnes in the South West of England.

During her daily walks along the River Dart, Chandra experienced an intensified appreciation of nature and began to look into local histories which led her to nearby Dartington Hall, an estate that once welcomed the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore during the early 20th century. Replacing the church bells – fallen silent under lockdown – with the recorded chime of ankle bells performed remotely by a classical Indian dancer, Chandra emphasises the connection between her immediate surroundings and her wider cultural heritage.

Shown Online in 'Care, Contagion, Community' from April 2021 and in the Autograph Gallery Sept 2021-Feb 2022

• https://autograph.org.uk/commissions/moh...
• https://www.mohinichandra.com/about-bela...
• https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gall...