Dec 10 2021 to Dec 12 2021 midnight

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore

716, Chinmaya Mission Hospital Road, First Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru 560038

Event Description

Gender Bender is back, and this time we’re happy to announce that the festival will be a digital manifestation of the physical festival - an interactive online space for audiences to engage with.

Gender Bender is a one-of-its-kind festival in India that is dedicated to the exploration of gender through art. Gender Bender was conceived and conceptualised by Sandbox Collective and is a joint venture with our founding partner the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore. Created to contribute and further the gender discourse through art, this is the seventh edition of the festival.  In the last six editions over 70 individuals from across India and globally have been awarded the Gender Bender grant to create works that further the gender discourse. The festival has received acclaim both nationally and globally and has been presented internationally in Berlin in January 2020, and has been invited for a further international showcase in September 2022.

The Gender Bender grant is awarded to individuals /groups who are selected by an independent Jury of eminent artists and scholars from across India.

Quick look at this year’s grantees: (complete with images attached)

Sharanya Ramprakash has created a #Malashreechallenge hoping to create a trans feminist icon by claiming the gender bending screen image of cine idol Malashree(even if not her politics or philosophy).

Dheeraj Kumar tries to unravel the feminine side of masculinity through his photobook.

Adil Kalim uses the derogatory words used by cishet people while referring to queer folk as a basis of his book covers.

Mitra, Shraddha and Yash explore the idea of a dating app that hopes to navigate caste in the world of dating apps.

Teresa talks about the the queer body and sex

Vastavikta’s quest is to find alternatives to the ‘ideal home’, her premise is founded on friendships and solidarities rather than the norms of conventional families.

Twisha, Kabir and Shagnik explore the world of music genres which they like to the gender spectrum rather than limit it to a binary.

Johnson Rajkumar’s film is on the Nupi Manbi, indigenous transgender women of Manipur

Anurati makes a platformer interactive game in which the princess can save herself, it follows the lives of real-life valiant queens who have never needed saving.

Prerit creates interactive toys and learning experiences that help us navigate the topsy turvy gender road.

Saad Khan and Little Boxes dwells on propagating critical conversation and knowledge on how to conduct queer research.

The virtual space:  10-12 December 2021

The works of all the grantees will be available on a specially created interactive digital space filled with architecture, gardens, fantastical creatures and other amusement. For the audience this will be a playful, interactive space where you can walk, run or even jump, turn corners, look at the objects that float down from the sky or sit by the waterfront. This space, created on Unity, will host the works of our 11 grantees this year. This space was specially created by Anokhi S and the folks at IOVR.

Link on insta bio/  @sandboxcollective

Sneak peek at the festival: (complete details in the attachment)

#GBredcarpetchallenge:  An instagram challenge led by artist Rency Philip asking people to find their gender bending looks and moves. Lucky winners get to win gender bender festival hampers.

On Instagram:  @sandboxcollective

Lunar Levitations with Luckamma: Join the mysterious feminist crusader Luckamma as she helps you navigate your love life. On instalive   @sandboxcollective

Aisa-waisa kuch kyun hota hai saheli? Riddles of gender. Riddled with songs by ZJ(zoom jockey) Tejas AP, A live show open to participants. On zoom / Link on insta bio @sandboxcollective

All queries:  collective.sandbox@gmail.com