Download press release 1 (PDF)
Download Project Kite web banner
Art Installation Raises Awareness of Feticide in India
Boston, (MA)- Ministry of Art and Place (MAP) presents "Project Kite," a two-phase outdoor public art installation and benefit to raise awareness of female feticide and infanticide in India.
Phase I: Project Kite
September 7- September 21, 2006
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 7, 6-9 pm
Courtyard of River of Life Church, 440 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA
Phase II: Project Kite Flight
Saturday, September 16, 12–3 pm
Southwest Corridor Park at Stony Brook T Station
Kites for flight available for suggested charity donation of $25
Conceived by Boston-based artist Jessica Watkins, Phase I of "Project Kite" is a massive outdoor installation of Indian fighter kites at 440 Centre Street. Over 150 pink handmade replica patangs (Indian fighter kites) will inhabit the outdoor courtyard, with use of space granted by River of Life Church. Created by the artist and local community members, kites comprising the work will range in size from 10-90 cm, representing months one through nine of fetal development. The mass of kites will have textural and tonal variation of light pink to fuchsia, with each kite representing the individual lives of Indian girls. A vein of black kites will puncture the pink field, which represents the estimated 10-11 million girls missing from India's population from the last 20 years as aborted fetuses and "trash babies" after birth (according to a 2006 study by the medical journal The Lancet).
The Project was inspired by a news segment from "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio from March 21, 2006 addressing gender-specific abortion practices in India. Though the practice is illegal, little is done to uphold the anti-feticide and infanticide laws in place there. The practice is now primarily underground. Ads for abortion services surface with slogans like "Spend 500 rupees now, save 50,000 rupees later," revealing the dread and inconvenience perceived in baby girls and the lingering dowry system.
The choice of the kite as artistic medium blends this cultural icon with symbolism for the female fight for existence. Described by Watkins, "I was struck by how the simplicity of a kite perfectly matched these girls' simple right to live." The artist went on to explain how the kites flown during festivals in India typically are only flown by males, and this installation purposefully juxtaposes this male-dominant recreational activity with the plight of the female population.
The installation's opening is scheduled for September 7, 2006 from 6-9pm in conjunction with JP Centre/South Main St.'s First Thursday event for September. The installation will be on display day and night for two weeks, September 7 through 21.
Phase II will be executed as "Project Kite Flight," a fundraising kite-flying event with the goal of gathering hundreds from the community to inform and create a tangible opportunity to take action. Actual fighter kites will be available by donation with all proceeds to be shared by the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Children's Rights and You (CRY) a local agency in India working to improve the status and rights of Indian children. T-shirts featuring the Project Kite insignia with the slogan "let girls fly a kite" will be available from the socially-conscious clothing company Off Your Back Shirts. All profits from the shirts will also be donated to the above charities.
Project Kite Flight will occur in the Southwest Corridor park on Boylston St. across from the Stony Brook T Station on Saturday, September 16, 2006.
The missions of UNICEF and the local agency in India emphasize education and improvement of the status of women in India. The Indian government is generally forced to turn a blind eye to them because of the numerous underlying issues. Unable to combat female feticide directly, many experts point to the inequality of the sexes as the fundamental concern. Without shifts in the attitude towards women in the country, the continuing problem of female feticide and infanticide has little hope of change.
The installation and event are sponsored by MAP (www.mapboston.org) as well as River of Life Church (www.rolcboston.org) and Off Your Back Shirts (www.offyourbackshirts.com).
For more information or to support Project Kite, visit the project's website at www.projectkite.org, Ministry of Art and Place's website at www.mapboston.org, or call 617.792.4855.
###