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I SEE NO STRANGER
EXHIBITION
INVITES AMERICA TO COME AND KNOW THE SIKHS — PLURALIST POLITICS
WEAVED WITH MYSTICISM
 Post
9/11 anti-Sikh violent incidents have proved that few Westerners
have even basic information about the world’s youngest religion and
Sikhs’ need to let the larger world know about themselves has never
been more acute. The Sikh Art exhibition and Film Festival, “I See
No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion”, currently on at the
prestigious Rubin Museum Of Art in Manhattan, delivers precisely
this knowledge. Supported by a generous grant from the Sikh Art and
Film Foundation and The Sikh Foundation, the exhibition is vivid but
concentrated and
presents, mostly through paintings, a culture’s version of its own
origins, the image of history shaped far more by hard work,
pluralistic politics and mysticism than by militancy.
Sikh courage and valor against oppression are wellknown from
history. By examining Sikh humanism as expressed in works of art,
this exhibition places Sikh history, its religion and people in a
broader context. The exhibition constitutes paintings, drawings,
textiles and coins from the Government Museum and Art Gallery,
Chandigarh; National Museum, New Delhi; the Sanskriti Museum, New
Delhi; the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, and the collection of
Narinder and Satinder Kapany, Palo Alto, along with other private
lenders.
The exhibition has been organized by the art historian B. N. Goswamy
of Panjab University, and Caron Smith, chief curator of the Rubin
Museum. In addition to the exhibition, the third annual Spinning
Wheel Sikh Film Festival is also being held at the Rubin Museum Of
Art from September 17th to October 1st, 2006. The Festival features
Sikh documentaries, comedies and thrillers. Some of the films being
 shown
are: Nineteen Eighty-Four – Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (The Singh
Twins); The Gold Bracelet – Kavi Raj; Train to Pakistan – Kushwant
Singh/Pamela Rooks; Kambdi Kalaai – Ish Amitoj Kaur and many more.
In
conjunction with the exhibition and the Film Festival at the Rubin
Museum, is a fourmonth program of film, music, dance, poetry and
lectures. The gala inauguration, held September 16th, paid tribute
to the proud community of Sikhs. It was officiated by Indian
Ambassador Ronen Sen
and was joined by Member of Parliament and Honorary Patron of Sikh
Art and Film Foundation, Sardar Tarlochan Singh, Congressman Gregory
Meeks, President of Sikh Art and Film zoundation, Mr Tejinder Bindra,
President of Sikh Foundation, Dr Narinder Kapany, Patrons of the
Sikh Art and Film Foundation, Mr Ishar Singh Bindra, Mr Sant Chatwal
and Dr Sabarwal.
Also present were Assemblyman Thomas Di’Napoli, Assemblyman
Chivukula, Ambassador Lewis, and Consul General Neelam Deo. Mr
Tejinder Bindra, the president of the Sikh Art and Film Foundation
welcomed everyone to the inauguration and spoke on primary
objectives he had in mind, for this Sikh exhibition and Film
Festival, one to unveil the mysticism of the Sikh Religion and the
other to take a moment of pride in seeing the rich Sikh heritage and
culture on display at the capital of the world- New York City.
Ambassador Sen spoke eloquently on Guru Nanak’s message of love for
all humanity and on the Sikh community’s, contribution to
Independence struggle in India, as well as the world, when they
stood side by side by their fellow brothers in defending the rights.
Member of Parliament Tarlochan Singh, Honorary Patron of Sikh art
and film Foundation, came all the way from India to inaugurate this
event. He shared in the Sikh Pride and spoke on the contribution of
Sikhs to the community in large. The Exhibition tells the story of
Guru Nanak and the religion he created, progresses into the
succession of 9 Gurus with Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru passing
on the guruship to Guru Granth, their living Guru, which is the
written word of their faith. The Sikh faith places importance on
honest labor and enjoying in the fruits of that labor with their
neighbor. This is symbolized in many pictures and paintings,
portraying the everyday Sikh in different forms of labor.
In
ancient India, though a matriarchal society, yet the women were not
considered equals, but for the Sikh women, they are given primary
importance and equality. For in the eyes of a Sikh all are
 God’s
creation and hence are deemed worthy. This is evidenced by the
beautiful tapestry woven by the women and given as bridal gifs to
the young brides set to embark on their life.
The museum’s artistic use of light and darkness offsets the objects
of art helps in creating the illusion of traveling in this journey
of passageway discovering one new concept at a time, leaving this
undeniable feeling that tonight regardless of your nationality,
caste color or creed; we are all Sikhs for the day. As quoted by Mr
Tejinder Bindra, Sikh Religion is - love for humanity as Guru Arjun
said ”I See No Stranger, I See No Enemy; I look Upon All with
Goodwill…”.
At
the exhibition, all-apparent are the poetry and music that pervade
and orchestrate the Sikh view of the world. Traditional hymns play
softly in the gallery. A rabab is on display. Certain paintings have
the gentle, doleful lilt of evening ragas; others jump and twitch
with a bhangra beat. And running through everything, like the
harmonium’s beginningless-endless voice, are the words of the holy
book:
Wonderful is sound
Wonderful is wisdom
Wonderful is life
Wonderful its distinctions
Wonderful is praise
Wonderful is eulogy
Wonderful the Presence
One sees in the present
O wonder-struck am I to seewonder upon wonder.
“I
See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion” remains at the Rubin
Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, Chelsea, (212) 620-5000,
through Jan. 29.
27 September, 2006
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