Odyssey
A reading room by the JOJO Library
for Indian Photo Festival 2020
We invite you to put on your headphones, adjust your volume and immerse yourself in reading with this soundscape.
Nishant Shukla / Seeking Moksha
" In 2011, I walked to the source of the Ganga in the Himalaya to collect water for my grandfather, a Hindu priest, who was on his deathbed. I hoped it could give him some connection with a place of which he had spoken, but was never able to visit.
By the time I got back, he had lost his memory, and could no longer recognise his grandson.
In subsequent journeys I often fantasised about spending my time as a hermit, and considered finding a cave to live in.
During those visits I collected wildflowers, stones, earth and water to offer to those close to me, and carry them, in spirit, to the places where these things came from.
Seeking Moksha evolved through such personal journeys. It is informed by encounters with people who seemed more lost than found in their search for transcendence, as perhaps I was too. "
About the Author
Nishant Shukla is a visual artist primarily working with photography based in London, UK.
His personal body of work addresses questions of identity, origins and essence through an exploration of the margin : peripheral moments, spaces and people, commemorated with images and objects that are entangled with his own journey.
Nishant co-founded BIND (2015-2020), a platform for contemporary photography based in India, with a specific interest for
the photobook.
About the Publisher
Seeking Moksha wass published by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts in 2017.
To purchase the book online, please visit The Trilogy Bookshop or Nishant Shukla's Website
Book video produced by JOJO Library
Post Production by Aditya Tawate
All reproductions are used with the permissions of the author and/or publisher.