Arjun Lal’s “Shrines and Rituals” opens June 18 at grunt gallery. By intersecting themes of contemporary queer pop culture, Indian iconographies, and the artist’s own lived experiences and future fantasies, “Shrines and Rituals” is a speculation on post-colonial world-building through the medium of textiles, sculpture, performance, and photography. From the perspective of a second-generation member of the Indian Diaspora, Lal reimagines ways of existing through characters, dress, and environments. In referencing symbolism and deities from Indian iconographies, such as Kali, the goddess of death and rebirth, Lal opens a portal to dream up what queerness, kink, culture, and spirituality can be: sacred, authentic, and new.

Lal reflects on inspirations for “Shrines and Rituals:”

“Role-play is everywhere—in gestures, in touch, in exchanged power, and in the boundaries we maintain. I am fascinated by the roles we inhabit—whether inherited, assigned, assumed, or chosen. These roles reveal the subtle, often unspoken performances that shape desire, intimacy, and social life. Some roles exist as rigid binaries, particularly in intimate relationships: top, bottom, dominant, submissive, active, passive, husband, or wife. Others are embedded in broader society: teacher, student, parent, security guard, tax-collector, or oppressor.”

Read Lal’s full reflection and learn more about the artist and curator by visiting grunt’s website.

Saturday, June 20 from 11:30am to 1pm, join us for the “Shrines and Rituals” Performance.

“I have been practicing improvisation as a tool for future speculation. Meditating, relaxing, and allowing my mind and body to wander into mysterious spaces where pathways appear and disappear. I find it easy to get lost and I don’t mind this feeling. For when I am surrounded in the darkness of my mind I can start searching again for a pathway towards something I don’t know.”

– Arjun Lal

Lal invites attendees to a satsang and soundbath to meditate, relax, and let their mind wander. Attendees are invited to discover the quieter parts of the mind, to invite flexibility and find a pathway that isn’t regularly apparent, perhaps leading to a realization previously unknown.

The event will be seated, there will be an amp used with mid-level noise, and free earplugs will be provided. Please feel free to bring your own cozy comfort items.

Reserve your spot by emailing vance@grunt.ca.

grunt gallery is located on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We offer exhibitions, special projects, and free public programming with a focus on practices and perspectives that have, since the beginning, questioned established values in contemporary art production. Since the early 1990s, we have been defined as an organization by our working relationships with Indigenous, racialized, queer / LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit arts communities. Since 2020, we have undertaken an organization-wide commitment to accessibility, in close collaboration with d/Disabled+ communities. We actively uphold the integrity and inherent value of artists and their work, and strive to remain self-reflexive. Check out our public art screening schedule on the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen by visiting mpcas.ca](mpcas.ca) or explore our extensive archive at (archives.grunt.ca. Local? Join us for a blind-led or behind-the-scenes exhibition tour, details available on our Instagram @gruntgallery.