The Blood of Stars

Raqs Media Collective / India, Sweden / 2017 / Czech Premiere / 12 min.

synopsis

In this video essay, the polysemy of iron is mined like a rare ore and smelted into a wealth of unexpected synergies: the stellar origin of iron is linked to its presence in human veins and in the geological layers of the Earth. The moose's sense of magnetic north and south intertwines with images of the Arctic landscape, in which the rusty remains of military equipment lie scattered. Fungi and bacteria that feed on iron are absorbed into the motif of a hunting knife. Between the cosmos and the individual, nature and technology, life and civilization, an iron bond is formed, which is commented on in dialogue and occasional unison by a girl's and a woman's voice.

“The word ‘raqs’ in several languages denotes an intensification of awareness and presence attained by whirling, turning, being in a state of revolution. Raqs [Media Collective] takes this sense to mean ‘kinetic contemplation’ and a restless and energetic entanglement with the world, and with time.”

Source: Raqs Media Collective

biography

Raqs Media Collective was founded by Monica Narula, Jeebesh Bagchi, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta in Delhi, India, in 1992. They create installations, sculptures, videos, performances, texts, and lexicons, and also work as curators. Their work lies at the intersection of contemporary art, philosophical speculation, and historical research. The video essay Blood of the Stars (2017) was commissioned by Public Art Agency Sweden and presented as part of the site-specific exhibition Extracts from a Future History in Luleå, in the mining region of northern Sweden.

film details

director:	Raqs Media Collective
cast:	Monica Narula, Amalia Jyran Dasgupta
producer:	Raqs Media Collective
script:	Raqs Media Collective
photography:	Monica Narula
editing:	Rajan Singh
sound design:	Ish Sherawat
production manager:	Shamsher Ali