Thukral and Tagra's relational art creates mirrors of anxieties, vulnerabilities

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The simple act of sitting on a sofa, or playing a seemingly biased game of table tennis, or getting a haircut -- it all becomes art at artist duo Thukral and Tagra's new show "Games People Play 02", as they invite viewers to interact with the works and face their anxieties, vulnerabilities, hopes, and beliefs.

'Games People Play 02', presented by art gallery Ashvita's at Lalit Kala Akademi, explores the idea of play as a psychological, social, political, and internal condition shaped by the anxieties of the present moment.

The second iteration of the show, which was first held at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai in 2015, also marks 20 years of Thukral and Tagra Studio.

The artist duo, who are known for their interactive and relational art -- a participatory format of public engagement -- invite the audience not just to view, but to participate, negotiate, and reflect, as artworks shift, grow, and reshape the exhibition itself.

The exhibition opens with an unconventional table-tennis table -- shaped like a paper plane, the table has a narrow and a wider side -- covered with distinct motifs from demonetised currency notes.

Titled "Assets and Liabilities", the work echoes "the volatility of economies, where paper wealth can vanish and rules tilt the game in unexpected ways".

"We see that one side is closed and the other is open, the table takes the shape of a paper plane. So which side will you choose -- if I stand here and hit there, I might win. But sometimes you don't know which side will work better for you. It's also a context given that the grounds are not even and you are supposed to choose in a constant juggle between these," Sumir Tagra told PTI.

Another iteration of the table, titled "Trust and Betrayal (by self)", turns inward: mirrored panels reflect the player at themselves, while holes swallow the ball mid-rally.

"The game becomes a dialogue with one's own image, an endless rally of advantage and collapse, presence and absence," the duo said.

Thinking through Eric Berne's 1964 book of the same name, the exhibition extends the idea of unconscious patterns of behaviour, roles, and strategies that shape human interactions.

In Berne's terms, these "games" are the subtle, often repetitive scripts people perform in order to negotiate power, attention, intimacy, or survival.

Transposed into an artistic context, the phrase becomes a foundation to examine how such invisible rules play out across cultural, social, and emotional terrains -- where performance, vulnerability, and resilience intertwine.

Through this foundation, the institution becomes an arena where games are reimagined as physical, mental, and spiritual, spanning past, present, and future. Reinvented by the duo, these works create experiences "that are both playful and thought-provoking, immersive yet reflective".

Another work, titled "Weeping Farm", is a 40-minute survival board game, created to highlight the struggles of women in the Indian agricultural community.

The "not for sale" board game invites players to take on the role of women farmers dealing with debt, adverse elements, and daily challenges. Based on the context that a farmer commits suicide every 40 minutes in India, the player with the most debt at the end of the game is eliminated.

"We want people to come and interact. Without the audience our work is not finished," they said.

The exhibition will come to a close on October 16. PTI MAH MG MG