Bindi Vora is a British-Indian contemporary photographic artist who lives and works in London. Her practice utilises various analogue processes, often taking inspiration from her everyday surroundings including her personal archive.
Her works have been exhibited across the United Kingdom and internationally including The Photographers’ Gallery (United Kingdom); Cultural Centre of Belgrade (Serbia); Benaki Museum (Greece); Art Stage (Singapore), amongst others.
Mountain of Salt
Mountain of Salt is an expansive body of work comprised of found images, appropriated text and digital shape collages, initially conceptualised as a human response to the unfolding of Covid-19. In March 2020 Vora like many others became acutely aware of the landscape we were living in, where everything felt amplified; clinging to the news for updates and statistics and in our own ways of analysing the information being shared with us. For Vora it highlighted the way words and speech have a physical presence, a bearing upon us.
This text-based series of collages focuses on the language used over the last year and developed from collecting words and sentences derived from politicians, journalists and individuals all sharing their commentary, updates or thoughts. The evolution of works was further punctuated by many issues that are of global concern and moments that have affected us well beyond the pandemic – equality, humanity, hyper-vigilance, pledges of reform and prolonged moments of stillness are all encompassed and bookended with some of the more light-hearted moments experienced in these times.
The distinct rhetoric of collective responsibility and unity constantly being pushed onto us by those in positions of power is further augmented by the shapes that appear in the works. They are not only there to direct your gaze across the image or to pause in certain spaces but reflect on the fundamental meaning of what the shapes represent - togetherness and cooperation. Through this work Vora is interested in how we might reflect on this time currently being experienced in our individual and collective ways. This curious collection of phrases speaks to the dissemination of language and its affect upon us.
More information about Vora’s other work can be found here:
Images © Bindi Vora / Courtesy of Imperial Health Charity
