Visiting German artist Frauke Frech will offer a new take on the tradition of mehendi, which will be demonstrated at an event scheduled today in the city, writes SHAILAJA TRIPATHI

Mehendi is an intrinsic part of many of our celebrations, especially with weddings. Even otherwise, women -- young and old, married and unmarried, look forward to an opportunity to have these detailed designs on to their hands. We don’t mind waiting in the queue and getting overcharged. Beautiful henna-laden hands seem to be worth it.

Though there is no occasion today, a motley group of women will gather on the terrace of Vimochana office, Thyagaraja Layout, between 12 noon and 6 p.m. to get mehendi done on their hands.

And, the best is you don’t have to pay anything! If you know how to do it, you can apply it to someone else’s palm or if you have a design in mind, you can tell those around and they will try and execute it for you.

Leading this endeavour is Frauke Frech, a German artist who is in India for bangaloResidency presented by Goethe-Institut. For Frauke, who is being hosted by Blank Noise, there couldn’t have been a better metaphor than mehendi to address the issue of gender, she is trying to address through her work. “What impact does the institution of marriage have on the lives of local people? Since the art of mehendi skin design used to be a synonym for marriage itself, I wanted to use this ritual in order to transform it along with a diverse group of women,” says Frauke.

At the event titled “Mehendi - No lifelong commitment, no artistic skills required”, participants can have mehendi done on any part of their body. “But one should have a message. Like I did it on my legs with the message ‘To please none but myself.’ If we don’t subdue ourselves to our families and husbands, what would we pledge to ourselves? The designs will be contemporary with a different aesthetic and a reworked framing. It is a collaborative process in which women from different backgrounds will share experiences and perspectives in order to create a strong aesthetic language,” reveals the artist. Photographer Madhu Nandi will capture the close-ups of the body art works, which could be used for a campaign or a book later.

As of now 16 women, Indian and other nationalities, have signed up for the event. Frauke is looking for more. “Anyone can join us from any walk of life and strata.”

In India since November, she says while women face similar patriarchal structures in every part of the world, what she finds interesting about Indian women is how a large part of the female population is in agreement with the traditional notion of marriage.

“They accept tradition without questioning it. They have accepted to taking care of their in-laws, families etc. The new generation is beginning to change things a bit though. But I am not here to judge. I am here to learn about it, question it and challenge it.”

A lot of Frauke’s insights into the system have come from her encounters with local women, most significant of them being the women in her neighbourhood of Yelahanka.

“I have cut their hair, given them different hairstyles and we have come to share a vey good friendship. After and after I finish my residency, I may come back for a few projects, one of which could involve them,” says Frauke. A performance artist, she Frauke likes to develop pieces involving communities that have no engagement with art.

Back home in Augsberg, in Germany, she runs an art studio called Grand Beauty Salon which functions like a beauty parlour with refugee beauticians from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan etc. “People in the neighbourhood can come in for different treatments and can pay whatever they want. The treatments don’t have the names they are known by. The moment of encounter between the customers and the beauticians become a work of art.” The art studio-cum-beauty parlour runs on funding provided by various agencies.”

The stint is also going to help Frauke on the personal front too. Having a partner from Kerala necessitated Frauke’s need to learn about Indian culture.

(Mehendi - No Lifelong Committment, no artistic skills required, will be held at 33/1-9, Vimochana, Thyaraj Layput, Jaibharath Nagar. To participate contact Frauke at info@fraukefrech.com or for further details visit facebook.com/goetheinstitut.bangalore for details. The event will be open to general public from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.)