The Image of the Protesting Woman

Indian photographer Prarthna Singh presents and discusses her recently self-published photo book Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh (2022), dedicated to the female protesters of Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi, India.

Shaheen Bagh was extraordinary in many ways. In the 101-day protests in the New Delhi neighborhood of Shaheen Bagh in the winter of 2019/20 against the new discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act, Muslim women were the leaders of the protests and constituted the majority of protesters, challenging the prevailing rules of public visibility. Another distinctive feature of the protest site was the ubiquity of art, particularly street art and performances as a means of communicating the concerns of the protesters and creating a collective identity. Prarthna Singh is one of the many artists who showed solidarity at the site. She used her artistic skills and reach to "bear witness" and archive this particular moment in history for future generations:

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh is a multi-media portrait that collates photographs, maps, drawings, letters, lyrics and other memorabilia from the protest site, Shaheen Bagh. The project, in book form, is testimony to the infinite courage of the women of Shaheen Bagh and their songs of freedom. (https://harshaamshaheenbagh.com/)

Prarthna Singh will talk about the inspiration she received from her own participation in the Shaheen Bagh protests, as well as the creation of the photo series and the challenges of self-publishing.

Mallika Leuzinger (German Historical Institute London) will contribute to a further discussion on women and photography, the many meanings of archiving, and art as resistance.