The ‘K’ Book begins with the story of “Kabir Chai Wala” (कबीर चाय वाला) Kabir the tea vendor, about his inspirations& background. It also contains a video-documentation of an art performance called “Kabir ki Chai” (कबीर की चाय) and tells what that camera eye saw which taped‘sugar cube words’ where both camera for live recording & 'sugar words' for being experimented were placed on Kabir tea trolley during the performance and the person writing this book (the "k' book) believe in the scope of this whole idea in focus:
‘share more & be wise like an open book’.
Making a videobook allowes me to play multiple roles shifting between an art-performer; conceptual character; writer & film maker where everyone of them showcases different approaches to the same focus and formulate an example available to both collective & individual readings towards bringing some change seeking a help from Kabir himself. This video-book is named The ‘K’Book because it contains all the K’s in it from searching many forms of Kabir the weaver-poet-saint who called himself Kabir Das (great servant) to kabir the chaiwala; a conceptual character performed during an art-performance called“Kabir ki Chai” again by me & moreover the author of this book now claims that he will finish the book as & when Kabir will wish it to finish. Some says that he is spotted sitting alone and talking to himself and that during an art opening in the city he was sharing what visions he is getting unknowingly leaving everyone to think that he need to see a doctor or what is the point in this. He simply deny all these charges put against him of mockery and fraud and maintains that he has received an order from Shankar Bhagwan that He is the one chosen to receive orders from Kabir and act accordingly as he is told that the World is getting filled with smoke of sins again and that very soon other Gods will also appear on earth. In the "k' book, King of Hearts & souls, Kabir’s work has been taken considering an efficient tool for carving brotherhood while discussing issues of deepest consent or need of the hour. Kabir being quoted for generation has still himself prevalent in both India& Pakistan where he is sung by folk singers, classical singers and Sufi’s.
Are you looking for me?
I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas,
not in Indian shrine rooms,
nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor *kirtans,
not in legs winding around your own neck,
nor in eating nothing but vegetables.
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.
- Saint Kabir Das
मोको कहाँ ढूंढेरे बन्दे
मैं तोह तेरे पास में
न तीरथ में, न मूरत में
न एकांत निवास में
न मंदिर में, न मस्जिद में
न काबे कैलास में
में तोह तेरे पास में बन्दे
में तोह तेरे पास में
न में जप में, न में तप में
न में बारात उपास में
न में किरिया करम में रहता
नहीं जोग सन्यास में
नाहीं प्राण में नाहीं पिंड में
न ब्रह्माण्ड अकास में
न में प्रकुति प्रवर गुफा में
नहीं स्वसन की स्वांस में
खोजी होए तुरत मिल जाऊं
इक पल की तलास में
कहेत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो
में तोह हूँ विस्वास में
- संत कबीर दास
नहीं स्वसन की स्वांस में
खोजी होए तुरत मिल जाऊं
इक पल की तलास में
कहेत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो
में तोह हूँ विस्वास में
- संत कबीर दास
To me it is necessary to include the process which builds the enthusiasm for executing an idea to its functioning form considering the usual practical changes which occur to the work during that course. Also, without avoiding the fact of interrelation & co-existence of various factors that stimulate the sense of perception and choosing context amongst shifting realities.
What usually happens with presenting live art works, as I felt is that they may fail miserably to present the happenings at the real time & space? There is a scope for an error during the narration building by the presenter loosing the grip over the real picture of the situation at the scene of the performance. The documentation of my performance is instead done in format of a book as it seemed that the appearance of an open book & its design makes for a perfect background to accumulate two video screens and text allowing interplay of the text and moving image. Hence, it helps in serving the data least infected by all those external factors of false reading of the essence of work by the viewer & then spreading misunderstanding or by the film-maker’s helplessness in control over his favouritism and ego.It retains the idea of the artist to keep the whole expression of the work being open ended and to individual personal interpretation and conclusions. Henceforth, this video book manages to avoid imposed wisdom & knowledge retaining the sense of critique and revolt. Also, it is assessable to some qualities of both electronic and print media.
This fact, that Kabir was an illiterate and his works were printed later which I find very interesting & made me feel the need to comment and consider this phenomenon of us finding him through the books he never wrote but are written on him and around his works. So, the authority over his works is under question to some extent. In the case of Kabir the position of a book plays a defining role in conserving his identity and ideology and to some extent raises the doubt about the alterations in illustrating Kabir’s depth of approach to each of the subjects he dealt with.
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| Kabir with a disciple |
