“Why is he here?”, is an interactive performance of the artist walking around in Battersea Park, London dressed as a British soldier. He pauses at eight spots, where bombs had fallen during the Second World War. An associate, followed the artist from a discreet distance and asked onlookers to record their random thoughts after seeing the soldier. They also recorded their personal details such as name, date, time, location and approximate temperature.

When conducting research at the Wandsworth Heritage Service at the Battersea Library in London, the artist came across information about the eight bombs in Battersea Park. To prepare for the part, Baptist procured authentic army combat clothing from a British military surplus store in Essex, UK. These clothes were once worn by a soldier in the British Army. The artist got a crew-cut and had discussions with an ex-military officer to familiarise himself, with the poise and body language of a soldier. He also consulted a theatre actor, to overcome inhibitions associated with moving around in public, dressed in army camouflage.

“Why is he here?”, is an ode and takes inspiration from the heroic contributions of the Indian troops during the World Wars. It is also a reference to an immediate query and doubt that follows the appearance of someone unexpected. The performance was also a means to navigate and map the garden that was once a bombing site, but is currently detached from its past. The memories of those bombings have been erased with time and the landscape has been meticulously transformed over the last decades.

The recording of participant’s thoughts was a way to link the past and present. When pausing, the artist took the stand at ease position, which reflects a relaxed and less rigid posture. The army combat clothing acts as a catalyst in inspiring response, thought and participation. The nature of the camouflage helps the artist to be anonymous, and on the other hand invite’s reaction and speculation. To some, the artist’s appearance as a soldier (in a garden that witnessed a war) was a masquerade, to others, an intrusion and a sight that questioned memories.

“Why is he here?”, was developed during Baptist Coelho’s Artist-in-Residence, supported by and at the Delfina Foundation, London, 2011-12. The residency was also supported by Creative India Foundation, Hyderabad; Pump House Gallery, London. In 2011, the performance was first realised at Battersea Park, London. In 2019, the audio/video recording of the performance was first screened as part of the group exhibition, ‘One Night Stand’ at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris. The exhibition was curated by Amin Gulgee.