Display #1 (Battersea Park – London), is an installation that consists of glass jars filled with water that was used for washing feet, soiled towels and notes on paper containing the random thoughts and personal details of varied individuals. The work also includes enamel jugs, soap, various army gear items that are seen neatly placed on shelves. A monitor showing a video of swirling unclean water is also part of the work.

All these items displayed, were an aftermath of a previous feet washing performance titled, “What have I done to you?”,2011, which also inspired the installation. The presentation of the work alludes to war museum display, where objects are detached from their original surroundings and are reduced to labels of facts and truths. After visiting various war museums in the UK, the artist tried to argue, that the veracity of documentation can sometimes reveal, conceal and deflect information. The clinically manufactured vitrines, bestow upon the objects a sense of status, presented by experts with their personal or imposed biases.

The installation is also inspired and pays tribute to the forgotten contributions of the Indian colonial troops during the World Wars. Placing objects within the context of museums, raises its historic and material importance. By presenting everyday mundane objects in a pristine setting, the artist questions our perceptions of integrity and value. The displayed bottles, notes and soldier gear invites the viewer to question and piece together their origins, associations and underlying messages. The monitor exhibited is synonymous with the informative videos what are part of museum exhibits. The black and white video consists of swirling water, randomly dotted with grime and foam. This mirky liquid refers to the process of historical recollection and its continuous disruption and distribution over time.

Display #1 (Battersea Park – London), 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 2012, the installation was first exhibited as part of the artist’s two-person solo exhibition, Social States at Pump House Gallery, London. The exhibition was curated by George Unsworth.