Reena Saini Kallat: Deep Rivers Run Quiet

Transboundary - Exposing the Porosity of the Concept of National Borders

Reena Saini Kallat: Deep Rivers Run Quiet delves into the tension between the concept of barriers and a world fundamentally shaped by mobility and interaction. The book explores the divisive narratives surrounding national and geopolitical borders and their impact on identity and self-image for individuals and their immediate environment. It also addresses social and psychological barriers.

Kallat's work suggests that barriers can give way and be subverted. This idea is powerfully expressed in her use of electric cables twisted to resemble barbed wire. She juxtaposes the paradox of technology, which allows the free flow of information, with the restrictions on movement.

To highlight the ambiguity of national narratives, Kallat employs the figure of the hybrid, which holds symbolic potential as a boundary defier. She creates hybrids of animals and plants that are closely tied to national identity, illustrating how nature defies the violent divisions imposed on land and nature. The motif of the river is significant in her work, serving as both a border and a lifeline for both sides.

Kallat's work challenges the notion of isolation as an illusion and instead advocates for the embrace of cultural pluralism.