Made in India is an exhibition by two American artists, Harrell Fletcher and Wendy Red Star who attempt to close the gap between consumers and overseas factory workers. It engages issues of globalization, capitalism, fair trade, and the social implications of consumerism. In 2007, Harrell Fletcher and Wendy Red Star were the recipients of a rug purchased through an American housewares company. The couple received a second identical rug accidentally. They noticed the rug was made in India from the label attached to it. Rather than returning the rug to the company, they chose to sell it and use the funds for a wealth redistribution project instead.
The rug was sold to the Art Gallery of Mississauga and The I.D.E.A. Space at Colorado College. Using these funds, Fletcher and Red Star decided to go to India and return the cost of the rug, about $1500, to a worker in the factory where the rug was made. The exhibition features the second rug purchased by the galleries and documentary videos of the artists arriving in India, touring the factory in Panipat where the rug was made, and meeting the man on the other side of the rug’s made in India label: Sandeep. With the help of an interpreter, Ashish Mahajan, the artists learned about Sandeep and his family, and gave the cost of the rug back to him.
Coincidentally, $1500 is the amount Sandeep earns in a year working at the factory. Harrell Fletcher and Wendy Red Star’s direct meeting with Sandeep is an important reminder of the numerous unseen people that enter into our lives every time we make a purchase, and raises questions about the circumstances of their lives in turn.
Contact Info: 905-896-5088, tara.marshall@mississauga.ca
Website: http://www.artgalleryofmississauga.com
Cost: free admission
Member Name: Art Gallery of Mississauga
300 City Centre Dr