Poulomi Basu

Phantasmagoria

Languages of Self-Empowerment and Resistance

The artist and activist Poulomi Basu (b. Kolkata, 1983; lives and works in London) outlines in her creative practice speculative visions of the future that intertwine a reflection on her protagonists’ present-day lives with an exploration of possible avenues of self-empowerment and resistance. Her work focuses on the close interweaving of ecological and feminist issues as well as on the stories of women who, like her, have their origins in the Global South and are pushed to the margins of society. Basu combines photography with virtual reality, film, and performance. She harnesses the activist potential of these media to draw attention to people marginalized by society and victims of gender-based violence. 

Published in conjunction with Poulomi Basu’s debut institutional solo exhibition at Fotomuseum Winterthur, Phantasmagoria is the first book to provide an overview of central bodies of work. Essays by the scholar Breanne Fahs, the cultural commentator and writer Ann Mbuti, and the author and cultural scholar Mithu Sanyal analyze Basu’s art from various angles. In a conversation with the curator Bindi Vora the artist discusses self-love as emancipatory practice, menstruation as a political act, and the conception of docu-fiction. A glossary by Indian sociologist Moubani Maitra contextualizes key terms and offers further access to Poulomi Basu’s work and focal points.