Red Earth started as a trip to West Bengal, India to study the music and culture of the Purulia District. In ancient times this area was known as the kingdom of Rarh, or Red Earth. It was originally done by Jyosna LaTrobe Burton as part of her postgraduate work on Rarh's music culture in 1996-98. A research grant from the Manukau Institute of Technology enabled Jyosna this year to go to Rarh and produce a documentary video on the Bengali New Year Festival, also known as the Shiva Gajan festival. Accompanied by Teresa Franco Suarez, two students from MIT School of Visual Arts, Binita Nair and Leilani Kake Raju, they set out for Rarh for month, to film and record this extraordinary festival.
Press
→ Dancing out demons, New Zealand Herald, 26-03-2001
Ephemera
→ Red Earth Project, 2001, exhibition card