Exhibition – நாம்: Can the divine speak?
Memory, resistance, and the sacred – the erased stories of resilience and divinity in the daily lives of Tamil women and men.
The opening of the exhibition நாம்: Can the Divine Speak? Fragments and Echoes of Eelam Tamil Voices on May 4 at 3 PM is a unique opportunity to discover works that celebrate Tamil voices, in the presence of artist Brintha Koneshachandra. A guided tour of the exhibition will be offered at 3:30 PM.
Description
The exhibition நாம்: Can the divine speak? Fragments and echoes of Eelam Tamil voices unveiled is an act of memory, resistance, and revelation. Rooted in the collective identity of “நாம்” (Naam)—We—it invites viewers to step into a decolonial space where history, spirituality, and lived experiences converge.
The question, “Can the Divine Speak?“, inspired by Gayatri Spivak’s critical inquiry, becomes a lens through which we explore the voices often silenced or erased. Here, the divine is not distant; it resides in every individual, especially in the stories of Tamil women and men who embody resilience, strength, and divinity in their daily lives.
The fragments presented in this space—whether through calligraphy, illustrations, or archival collages—reflect the multiplicity of the Tamil experience. From the declaration of the Vaddukkoddai Resolution to the celebration of fauna, flora, sacred names, and divinity, these pieces weave a narrative of resistance and identity. They honor the voices that persist: in the rhythms of spoken Tamil, in the imagery of everyday divinity, and in the defiance of a library burned but never forgotten.
This is not just an exhibition—it is a dialogue between memory and present, between the sacred and the ordinary. It is an invitation to witness how Tamil voices, fragmented yet resilient, can reclaim their place in the narrative of resistance and survival.
Opening hours
The exhibition is open from April 24 to May 28:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
- Wednesday and Saturday: 12 PM to 6 PM
Media
Brintha Koneshachandra
Brintha Koneshachandra is a multidisciplinary artist — visual artist, poet, and comedian with the theater groupe Les Tisseuses. Originally from Eelam Tamil, her works lie at the intersection of themes such as femininity, resistance, liberation, nature, culture, and Eelam Tamil identity. Inspired by decolonial theories rooted in the lived experiences of her people, she explores marginalized narratives, particularly those of Tamil women and her diasporic community.
To anchor and create is to remember. To tell stories is a form of resistance. All her creative forms feed into one another, weaving a body of work where memory, resistance, and poetry are intertwined.
She has collaborated with magazines and publishing houses such as Herizons, This Magazine, Remue-Ménage, Tête Première, and Larousse, as well as organizations like FAA, Tamil Youth Organization, and FTA. In 2022, she was recognized with the 30 Under 30 award by the Tamil Heritage Month Council for her dedication and talent. In her professional life, she works as a project manager in EDI and is also a practicing historian.
le Gesù
The Centre de créativité du Gesù offers audiences and artists spaces and experiences that inspire, encourage questioning, and provoke encounters, with the aim of fostering expression and accessibility to art.
With
Brintha Koneshachandra
