The Black Metaphors

Sachin Bonde

Sachin Bonde’s current series of works ‘The Black Metaphors’ is a study of irony: an irony of development, nation-states and commodification of desires. Through his sculptures, installations and etchings, Sachin contextualizes the inherent dichotomies that connect two forms of power together: political power and the energy. His work questions the relationship between electric grids and grids of political alliances that traverse the globe.

Drawing from proverbs, myths and sciences of animals, Sachin reflects upon political borders, national flags and symbols of power as a metaphor of nations with the underlying map of oil. Since last six years, he has been working on the subject of oil politics and oil war where he looks at oil as fuel and a natural resource while connecting it with the dynamics of maps and networks of movement of petrol and kerosene, and their relationship to the realpolitik. He weaves narratives based on local incidences of oil-adulteration mafia as well as international oil wars that is represented through the symbol of funnel of a ration shop.

With a keen interest in archeology and political history, Sachin sometimes re-appropriates objects to satirize nihilism of right-wing politics while creating intricate sculptures that contain the politics of their materiality. He combines it with his critique of globalisation, consumerism and economic imperialism in a satirical and arresting manner. The elephant’s ivory tusks, the perfume of the musk deer or the rhino’s horn become references for the animal world, but at the same time, reflect upon the human greed and exploitation of natural resources.