Superman is now promoting the message of safe sex through an art exhibition in Delhi aimed at spreading AIDS awareness and sex education among youth in India.
The exhibition, featuring oils on canvas by artist-duo Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, addresses the themes of safe sex practices and increased sexual activity among Indian youth against the backdrop of traditional perceptions of sexuality.
"Superman is every girl's man. He wears latex and
saves the world. He is a larger than life character and we
have used him as a metaphor to promote safe sex,"
Thukral said
Titled 'Put it on, Again,' the exhibition continues from their
solo exhibition 'Put It On' held in 2007 in New York, and is on
display at the Nature Morte gallery in Delhi till February 26.
"We live in the age of Internet where we can see porn
films but can not talk about sex to elders. We thought it's
time to analyse our behaviour towards sex through art," Tagra said, calling their effort a behavioural change exercise.
Different schools in Delhi have been invited to send children to the exhibition.
"There is no sex education for children in schools. Our work will be like an educational programme helping them in understanding about sex," Thukral said.
With their characteristic use of pop culture imagery, graphic pizzazz, colours, sardonic wit and insightful juxtaposition, the duo has tried to address deadly serious subjects in a humorous way.
They are using art to get to places where conventional campaigns on HIV have failed to reach. Apart from exhibiting their work at the gallery, the artists have also tried to take the safe sex message to a grass-root level through a campaign called 'Pehno'.
"We have printed condoms on bathroom slippers. When
people wear them everyday at home, they are 12er`econstantly
reminded of having safe sex," Tagra said.
"To spread [the] message of safe sex more comprehensively,
we need to use new mediums that move in private spaces of
people and make an impact. Slippers are something that a
common man wears everywhere," he added.
Their installation work 'The Beautiful Game,' first created for the India Art Summit last month, is also being presented at the exhibition. Winners of the game, based on billiards, are promised merchandise that will educate them about safe sex practices.
"The form of the billiards game itself will act as a metaphor for both the anxiety associated with sexual awakening and the thrill of the amorous adventures. By creating the atmosphere of a gaming hall in the context of an art gallery, we will try to lure the public into a dialogue about a subject they may usually do everything to avoid," Thukral said.
It's not the first time that an issue of social importance is finding a place in their work. In their Brisbane exhibition, Tagra and Thukral worked on immigrant Indians living in Australia, while their Beijing project dealt with the issue of 'holiday wives' in India.
"Our art is for masses and we believe that art can
change people's views and lives," Tagra said.
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