Artist's Vintage Tech Time Machine Captivates Chandigarh

At Chandigarh's Kalagram, a captivating exhibition by Jaipur-based artist Vinay Sharma offers a journey through time. Sharma, an avid collector, has amassed approximately 300 vintage radios, alongside rare telephones and cameras dating back to the late 19th century. These artifacts, often salvaged from junk dealers, are presented as sculptures, evoking nostalgia and prompting reflection on the past.

Sharma, also a painter and printmaker, integrates his artistic vision into the installation, featuring his alter ego, the 'Paperman.' This figure, clad in a costume of account sheets, wears headphones symbolizing the tension between past and present, serving as a reminder to pause and connect with memory. The exhibit highlights the lost discipline in communication, contrasting the thoughtful engagement of vintage technology with today's rapid-fire interactions.

The artist stresses the importance of understanding history to navigate the future. He illustrates how vintage cameras demanded patience and thoughtful framing, while telephones encouraged deliberate speech. Sharma's collection, including a heavy cordless phone used by Polish soldiers and a tiny 6mm projector, underscores the evolution of communication, urging visitors to carry the past with them rather than abandon it.