Artefacting Public Art + Research Practice

A few days ago we were in our workshop waiting for the weekly art class to begin - it was 3:10pm on Saturday. The previous weeks led us to believe that many of the kids were interested in and excited about the Saturday art classes; however this week not a single child showed up. Confused, Alex and I made our way over and down to the area where most of the kids we work with live - we call the neighborhood Bridge Road because it’s underneath the bridge where our workshop is located; it could just as easily be called Pipeline Road, as the homes are built on and around massive pipes that pump water into the city of Mumbai from a lake dozens of miles away.

As it turns out, there was quite a commotion going on down on Bridge Road. A baby goat had been severely injured - it seemed to have been run over by a vehicle. As more and more people gathered, it became obvious that the goat was not doing well at all. Equally obvious was how quickly the neighbors came together to help the owner of the goat.

Motherly Fatima stepped up and get in on the action right away; after a debacle trying to get rubber gloves on her hands, she began to clean the wounds on the young goat and prep it for some medication. The smell was far from pleasant; at one time Fatima had to step away to prevent herself from gagging in front of everyone. Meanwhile, Lexmi, whom we affectionately call The Queen because she watches over the group – especially the children – sat back and observed stoically. She had brought the goat from a friend’s home to seek help from her crew under the bridge. Lastly, Rafik, who likely would have been the prom king at Dharavi High - if that school (or the prom) existed in the Bridge Road world - walked the line between the head surgeon and a necessary comic relief. He administered medicine to the wounds of the goat, and strategically made jokes to keep the whole situation lighthearted.

This event was a strong visual moment for us, as we are not only unaccustomed to dealing with a life and death situation of a goat, but more importantly, we witnessed and were a part of the community coming together to try and overcome a serious problem. In the video below, Alex breaks down what was happening.

The Goat Event from Artefacting Mumbai on Vimeo.

Alas, the young goat was beyond help and did not survive. After the inevitable was realized, the goat was carried away and life quickly resumed it’s normal, relaxed pace. The kids made their way up to the workshop and art class finally started ten minutes later. As soon as the kids started drawing their focus shifted whole-heartedly. In fact, the only people still thinking about the previous hour were the three of us as we tried to process everything we had just experienced. Despite the tragedy of Lexmi’s friend loosing her goat, we couldn’t help but get excited about how strong the community effort was to care for the poor animal. In my mind I constructed a similar situation, taking place in my own community, and I struggled to imagine how the scenario would play out if I couldn’t turn to a veterinarian for help. Who would you turn to for help if you can’t go to the doctor during an emergency?

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  Fatima attempting to put on gloves
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  More issues with the gloves
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  Gudu showing off the goat's medicine
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  Fatima cleaning the goat's wounds
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  Lightening the situation: Rafik teasing Lexmi
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  Rafik washing the goat as Lexmi looks on from behind