Meha Goenka, Dialects that Bind Us
Single channel animation
2 mins 30 seconds
Drawing on her cultural and ethnic roots, Dialects that Bind Us is a dialogue between the
geographic states of Meha Goenka’s home country, India, expressing their interrelation
through the languages spoken and written while referencing the traditional folk art of India,
Warli.
India, with its rich culture and colonial history exists as a melting pot of numerous
languages, cultures and sub sects of religion which contribute to the multi-cultural entity it
is. These languages are specific to each community who reside primarily in their individual
state. Collectively, they form one nation.
Derived from an exploration of self-discovery, Goenka’s unravelling of each culture is
equivalent to coming to terms with their historical roots and an attempt to gain a foothold
on the life of Indians today. Goenka is keen on connecting the thread which runs through
the country, while focusing on the many Indian languages that are so diverse and yet so
specific to each community across the country.
This single channel animation, visually represents the combining of these languages and
symbols into what appears to be a traditional Warli painting, however on deconstruction it
is a mix of alphabets from each language which come together to form this work.
