PVI Collective presented Resist, a participatory performance tug-of-war over community issues at Juhu Beach, North Mumbai on 17 January as part of the [en]counters program.
PVI Collective worked with the local Mumbai community around Juhu Beach to create a new, bilingual, version of their renown work Resist, a participatory performance work that invites audiences to step up and champion a cause using the ancient art of tug-of-war.
Over two weeks the artists interviewed members of the general public near the site and local community activists, former politicians and other decision makers. They collected a list of the key issues people felt the local community faced, and possible solutions to these. Hosted by local Mumbai MC Ishita Vasa, participants of all ages publicly waged war one-on-one with the PVI conflict resolution team over a series of the ten contentious issues, using only a 10m length of rope, their physical prowess and the spirit of their own convictions.
The artists delivered the results of the community’s deliberations the next day to the offices of Mr. Sitarum Kunte, the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai and CEO of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where his secretary met with PVI Collective and arranged collection of the results for the Commissioner.
The Australian component of the [en]counters program was curated by Simon Maidment and received support by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria, and the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne and Last Ship, Julius Macwan Institute. It was presented by Satellite Art Projects in partnership with Asia Arts Projects and ArtOxygen.
