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WHAT A SHAME
Durational Performance, 2024

In "What A Shame," Aparna delves into the intricate web of societal expectations and the pervasive culture of shame that surrounds the female body, specifically focusing on the bra strap—a seemingly innocuous piece of clothing that carries a disproportionate weight of social judgment. This performance is a confrontation of the stigmas and cultural taboos that dictate the behavior and self-perception of women in Indian society. It is a profound inquiry into why such a small and ordinary aspect of female attire is shrouded in such secrecy and shame.

Through this performance, Aparna invites us to question the deep-seated notions that inform our everyday interactions and perceptions: Why is a bra strap, a mere piece of fabric, imbued with such power to determine a woman's worth? What does it say about our society when something as trivial as an exposed bra strap can evoke such intense scrutiny and moral policing? How have we come to internalize these judgments to the extent that women themselves participate in their own shaming, working meticulously to hide what is natural and necessary?

This performance also raises broader questions about the visibility and invisibility of women's bodies. Why must a woman's body be concealed to be deemed respectable? What are we so afraid of when it comes to acknowledging the physical reality of women? Is this act of concealment truly about modesty, or is it a mechanism to control and suppress female autonomy? In a society that claims to respect women, why does it simultaneously enforce codes of conduct that diminish and objectify them?

Aparna's "What A Shame" is not just a performance but a mirror held up to society, reflecting its deep contradictions and unspoken rules. It challenges viewers to confront their own complicity in these practices and to reconsider what it means to live in a society that demands the erasure of something as simple and essential as a bra strap. Through this work, Aparna pushes us to ask: What are we truly ashamed of?