Ek Bagal Mein Chand Hoga Ek Bagal Mein Rotiyan (One Side Lies the Moon, On the Other Lies the Bread). As the title suggests, the project begins by looking closely at the two faces of the moon. It refers to the Koli (fishermen) community’s dependence on the moon, to the literal, functional and symbolic meanings attached to it by the Son Koli tribe, when local livelihoods and traditions are on the verge of extinction. In an effort to reverse this sense of loss and dying of indigenous resources, trades, and ecosystems, the women of Chendani fishing village and Parag Tandel are developing a Dry Seafood Recipe manuscript with narratives of loss and shift in occupation.

Drying infers loss, yet the action itself suggests the need to preserve. On this occasion, the women and Tandel will present an archive of recipes, a manuscript recording the survival of these dishes and carrying personal narratives, memories and illustrations of a landscape that has succumbed to pressures of uncontrolled growth. To accompany the manuscript, the community will launch an online video series in the exhibition by using Instagram IGTV. The project thus becomes a symbolic chronicler of the past – as the artist calls it.