Archiving Health Histories 

A Community Engagement Initiative by  SL Bhatia Museum & Curating for Culture

Curatorial Note

The recent workshop on Archiving Health Histories (June 2024) profoundly explored the relevance and impact of personal and community health narratives. The exercises brought critical discussions about the balancing act inherent in medical storytelling to the forefront; whether that involves practices adjusting to changing body types, integrating artistic experiences with factual and historical interpretation, or navigating the ethical choices involved in sharing medical experiences. Due to the paucity of time and the complexity of the subject, many questions remain unanswered. 

Thus, we are collectively curating a public showcase to present a multifaceted view of health histories, to continue the discourse about archiving public health histories, and to include diverse voices and perspectives from the community in the institutional setup of medical archives and museums. Journeys shared in the showcase will range from personal experiences of self-care and psychological dimensions that go unnoticed in clinical settings, to community narratives of fostering resilience against various social, economic, and cultural factors that shape health situations. There is also an attempt to explore the intersection between art and medicine, as well as a critical examination of the ethical considerations in sharing medical or health-related stories. 

We invite you to engage with this first-of-its-kind showcase (or call it an exhibition) which is co-curated with participants from the workshop or who are joining us through an open call for community engagement. Everyone takes responsibility for the material they have shared, ensuring that all voices are authentically represented, the narratives are handled with care and respect, and the storytellers maintain agency over their personal histories. Participants bring along health histories from various times, and from across the globe. 

By presenting these diverse perspectives, the exhibition aims to foster a deeper understanding of the complexities of health histories. It seeks to bridge the gap between medical professionals and the communities they serve, emphasizing the importance of empathy, cultural competence, and ethical storytelling in healthcare. These ideas will be further discussed in the public dialogue following the opening of the showcase. 

- Ishita Shah, Radhika Hegde

Participants Info

In Memoriam:

Reflections on Heritage of Relations and Preserving Health and Life Archive

Debankita Das

Doctoral Student (Early Indian History and Archaeology) | Hyderabad/Bengaluru

Grandparents are/were spirited elderly, seniors in the true sense, and a lifelong companion. However, "researchers have found that 43% of elderly people over the age of 60 feel isolated, which leads to depression, cognitive impairment, and other health problems. The research concluded that loneliness has become a significant factor in declining quality of life in older adults." The COVID-19 pandemic further brought severe mental health issues to the shore 

caused by isolation and the presence of dysfunctional families.

I welcome the audience to feel this as a sign to spend more time with their elderly loved ones, the time and person I had lost in 2020, at the onset of the Pandemic. With this thought, I welcome the audience to visit the memorial archive of my Grandma's (whom I fondly call Āmmā) life and health histories (a keeper of stories) and immerse with me in this personal journey towards understanding the perceptions of time and the associated mental-emotional well being of the empathetic youngsters and their elderly loved ones who are no longer around. The audio-video visuals will narrate feelings about the shared relationship, which I have termed heritage. Here, the archival engagement is a way of reconnecting and healing from the loss by remembering, honoring, and preserving.

Threads of Resilience: A Community Exhibition

Pooja Shah

Exhibition Designer | Ahmedabad/Edinburgh

"Threads of Resilience" is a powerful and interactive community exhibition that explores the emotional responses and experiences of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This unique exhibition visualizes these emotional journeys through intricate graphs represented by threads, symbolizing the interconnectedness and resilience of the community during unprecedented times.

The primary objective of "Threads of Resilience" is to provide a platform for community members to express their emotional experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and to foster a sense of unity and healing. By visualizing these emotions through art, the exhibition aims to facilitate understanding, empathy, and resilience within the community. 

Not on Us: Chemsex and Care

Yogi

Anthropologist | Bengaluru

M and S are chemsexers. Enter all by yourself and listen to what happened when M visited a public de-addiction center and S visited a private one. This is a narration from the perspective of the caregiver who also is a researcher. What is chemsex? Who is a chemsexer? What kind of care do they currently avail? What kind of care do they need? Attempting to answer these questions, this audio narration of the caregiver's experience raises crucial questions regarding medical/psychiatric knowledge production and the politics behind accessibility of the public and private de-addiction centers.

Uposhohor to Sabzi Bazar

Zannatun Nahar with Jahangir Hossain, Lutfun Nahar

Anthropologist | Mississippi, United States/Bangladesh

Zannatun, Lutfun, and Jahangir came to Chennai, India in December 2022. They spent 23 days together for the treatment of Lutfun there, away from home. Lutfun and Jahangir have lived in Bogura, situated in the northern part of Bangladesh, since 1984. Their encounter in Chennai was not just limited to treatment. Rather, there is a story of food, social space in the Sabzi Bazar area, and their neighborhood environment. They experienced the difference in the hospital treatment service between the two cities of two different countries. As a Government Bank employee for over 40 years, Lutfun was not aware of her health concerns in the workplace which had led this family to get this transitional experience in Chennai, India.

Women Public Health Practitioners on the Frontlines of Health and Wellness

Ranjith Viswanath

Medical Doctor | Bengaluru

I am documenting oral histories of women who are public health practitioners over an extended period, delving into various facets of their careers. My focus is on understanding their motivations, inspirations, and the significant contributions they have made to the field of public health over the years. Through these conversations, I aim to capture the evolution of their roles, the challenges they have faced, and the impactful initiatives they have led. This exploration provides valuable insights into the dedication and passion driving these professionals, shedding light on their journey and the broader landscape of public health.

Keep Walking: weaving, tracing, and mending the fabric of the body-mind

Paarvathi Om

Theatre Practitioner | Auroville

An expressionist trail into the journey of an individual body and family body, and an invitation to explore one's trails and terrains inside. Part-installation, part-archive, and part performance. A proposal for embodied dialogue …

Sir, I have reached the location: one-way letters of care during Covid

Srinidhi Prahlad with Vijay Raikwar

Curator | Bangalore

During the peak of the COVID pandemic, healthy, uncontaminated food was a luxury. As these boxes of food were delivered, often the chefs, delivery staff, and hotel managers wrote letters of care to the customers—beautifully crafted poetry, prose, and customized letters of care. Some included extra toppings or free refills and reassurances of body temperature and social distance. These letters form the corpus of this archive. But what did the customer return as an act of care? Did he bother to even give a review as he hurried to eat, or give a tip, or a 5-star rating? Mostly not. Across masks and frenzies, cold instructions like "keep it at the door" hardly got the care provider any care. Often, companies fail to provide health insurance or hospital beds. These messages are ephemeral because they were printed heat bills. As we forget the pandemic itself willfully, this installation urges us to unmask the very masks from the COVID era, jumping over social distance-marked tiles in a hospital setting to read these messages. Visitors are prompted to unmask the imbalance of care. One could also print a letter back, for visiting caregivers at the hospital and delivery people to read and take with them. Vijay, a chef, while co-curating the exhibition also falls sick and is a patient at St.John's during the exhibition. His ongoing narrative will add his letters and x-ray printed photos of care and caution while showcasing the show to his friends who are chefs and delivery partners forming an ongoing development of the archive. 

Goodbye Dhaka

Partha Sen Gupta

Independent Filmmaker | Dhaka, Bangladesh

Embark on a poignant journey as we unveil "Goodbye Dhaka," a personal exploration of resilience in the face of adversity. Through intimate diary entries and evocative visuals, witness the profound impact of air pollution on an individual's life. This exhibition is an invitation to connect deeply with the human spirit as it navigates the complexities of illness and the environment.

Dark Room: Living Through the Days of Unemployment

Palak Malik

Digital Content Specialist | Delhi, India

Welcome to Dark Room, an introspective journey into the mental health challenges experienced during unemployment. This collection is an attempt to curate and spotlight the often-overlooked struggles many face when out of work. The collection dives into: 

- Financial Stress: The crushing anxiety of financial uncertainty.

- Social Anxiety: The fear and discomfort of societal expectations.

Isolation: The loneliness and emotional toll of feeling disconnected.

- The Dark Room is a space for empathy, understanding, and reflection.

Prabha Athai: the Aunt who never grew up to be.

Removing the shroud of secrecy from Infant mortalities in the family

Aparna Raman

Faculty, Srishti Manipal Institute & Memory Studies Practitioner; Founder, Timbuktoo Publishing | Bangalore

The project involves unearthing and documenting details of my father's sister who died of meningitis in 1930s Lucknow as a 2-year-old girl. Though she was named Pushpa ( traditional name Neelayadakshi), she remains a whisper in family narratives as the 'sister who died'. The project delves deeper into what happened and researches the practice of treating Meningitis back in the day and the treatment of lumbar puncture that was being discussed for her. Dr Rao and King George's Hospital, Lucknow will also be featured. The mortalities among other infants in the family will also be shared and the climate of silence around them and their illnesses. Inspired by the Dutch cemeteries in Chinsurah and their beautiful epitaphs on gravestones, I have decided to write an epitaph to my dead aunt to break the atmosphere of mute participation.

BTM Layout Community Wellness and the Layered Health History through Indigenous Practises experienced in households

Destination Heritage, Dr. Githa U Badikillaya  

Folklorist, Indologist, Independent Researcher | Bengaluru

This project documents the BTM Layout community's wellness through indigenous medicinal practices. This is a public engagement of long-term residents across, class, gender, and economic status living in independent homes and apartments. This is a layered history of the community from personal medical histories. It is an urban history documentation through community health. As such the data will include infrastructure and its effect and how this has been dealt with through Maps and in turn reflecting. 1. The neighbourhood transformation. 2 medical doctors' inputs and assessment to understand the overall health of the BTM residents. 3. Research reports and data on the infrastructure will be trailer information.