Bijayini Satpathy in the Galleries_ Taru (Islamic Art) _ MetLiveArts

Choreographed and performed by Bijayini Satpathy Music composed by Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy MetLiveArts 2021-22 Artist in Residence Bijayini Satpathy’s performances are inspired by—and take place in—various galleries engaging with each site’s architecture as well as its ancestry, stories, legends, and aesthetics that are so different from Odissi’s. For these site-specific creations, Satpathy collaborated with composer Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, who has moved the soundscape away from traditional Odissi music and into unconventional spaces. “Taru” is Sanskrit for tree. Inspired by non-figurative ornamentation and the interlacing of simple geometrical patterns in Islamic art, this performance is an abstract exploration of the body as it creates and becomes design in space. The piece is set to a tarana—a musical pattern from the north Indian Hindustani style of music that is highly influenced by Persian music traditions. “This presentation sincerely acknowledges and marks my gratitude to the Mahari temple dancers and young Gotipua dancers of Odisha, whose contributions have made Odissi as loved and rich as it is today.” —Bijayini Satpathy