1984 Path of the Warrior Saints exhibition drew in almost 3000 visitors to the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), and received exceptional reviews. Co-curated by world-renowned poet and author, Rupi Kaur, the exhibition offered an experience of the pivotal events of 1984, and their context within the larger timeline of Sikh history. 2024 is the 40th anniversary of an event known within the Sikh community as the Battle of Amritsar, when the Government of India enacted Operation Bluestar — a direct attack on the heart of the Sikhs, the Harimandar Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab, popularly known as “the Golden Temple”.
Produced by the Poetic Justice Foundation in partnership with Sikh Heritage Month Foundation, the exhibition launch featured enlightening talks from Harinder Singh of the Sikh Research Institute, Sukhman Singh from Ensaaf, and Rupi Kaur herself.
Sandy Grewal, chair of Sikh Heritage Month shared, “It was a great feeling to open our official art exhibition for Sikh Heritage Month and receive the overwhelming support from the community. Remembering 1984, 40 years later, was very important to us, and gave us an opportunity to share our history via the creative lenses of so many amazing artists."
Harinder Singh, an educator and thinker remarked, “This exhibition is likely the only non-Sikh space in the world where an attempt is made to present the Sikh memory of the defining moment for the Sikhs and the Panjab since the 1947 Partition. It surveys the context and the subtext of the 1984 Ghallughara — the army attack, the genocide, the crimes against humanity, the extrajudicial killings, and the resistance — as captured in documentation, media, and arts."
Sukhman Singh, lawyer, human rights activist and director of Ensaaf says, “The scale and scope of violence in Punjab during the 80s and 90s can’t be overstated. While the Indian government continues to deny its atrocities, I’m encouraged to see the level of interest in Ensaaf’s work through the ‘1984 Path of the Warrior Saints’ exhibition, and the contributions from a global community of artists who are commemorating this 40 year anniversary."
Rupi Kaur shared her thoughts on the curation process: "Curating this exhibition has been a deeply personal and profound journey, bringing the spirit and the pain of the Sikh people to a wider audience. I was elated with the response to my initial call for entry, and with the depth and diversity of the artists that contributed their works and expressed that same spirit and pain so beautifully."
Mo Dhaliwal, Director of the Poetic Justice Foundation, expressed, "The collaboration for this exhibition symbolizes a milestone in our collective effort to commemorate and educate about the events of 1984 through the perspective of those who lived it and are still feeling its impact. It’s an honour to be selected to lead an effort so important to Sikhs in Canada.”
The exhibition ran all of April 2024 with free admission for Sikh Heritage Month.
Partners
Team
Curator: Rupi Kaur
Producer: Mo Dhaliwal
Content Development: Santbir Singh
Artist Management: Kiratpal Singh
Project Management: Jasleen Kaur Johal
Visual Designer: Sunny Formats
Advisor, Sikh Heritage Month:
Artists & Contributors
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