PARASITÓ
IN COLLABORATION WITH
Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai
Parasitó, an international art exhibition held in August 2025 at the P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy in Mumbai, stands as a testament to the power of collaborative artistic expression. Curated by Dorron Britz, this exhibition is a joint effort between Vedica Art Studios and Gallery and the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai. It explores the intricate themes of parasitism, consumption, ecological collapse, and emotional erosion through a multidisciplinary approach that combines performance, painting, projection art, and installation. The exhibition interrogates the psychological, ecological, and social consequences of parasitic systems in contemporary life, urging reflection on human connection, consumption, and resilience.
The curatorial vision of Parasitó delves into the metaphor of parasitism as a condition embedded in society. It examines how consumption erodes trust, intimacy, and ecological balance. The exhibition features a constellation of international artists whose works collectively illuminate parasitic dynamics in their many forms—ecological, emotional, and societal. The show blends performance, digital environments, and visual art to create an immersive experience that challenges audiences to consider their complicity and the costs of normalized consumption. It also serves as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, incorporating perspectives from Mexico, the United States, Canada, Israel, Germany, South Korea, India, Singapore, and beyond.
Performance by Fina Ferrara, Parasitó, 2025
Charcoal on Frosted Mylar - 12 x 16 in C$ 1700 excl. VAT
Charcoal on Frosted Mylar - 12 x 16 in C$ 1700 excl. VAT
At the core of Parasitó is the visceral performance by Mexican artist Fina Ferrara. Ferrara uses her body as both medium and site to enact parasitic intrusion, smearing black acrylic paint on gallery walls and consuming sculptural works in a symbolic act of violation and transformation. Her performance is accompanied by the immersive projection art and soundscape created by Justin Menendez. Menendez's layered digital visuals and guitar improvisations heighten the atmosphere of tension and unease. This collaboration creates a dynamic interplay of body, sound, and image, embodying parasitism as both a personal and ecological condition. Carol Hartman's monumental oil painting Disruption (2024) serves as the exhibition's visual and conceptual anchor. Composed of seven panels totalling 84 x 230 inches, the work allegorizes ecological imbalance and climate disruption through imagery of fire and destruction. Hartman's layered abstractions reflect decades of environmental engagement and provide a forceful statement on humanity’s impact on nature.
Barbara Rachko, an American artist based in New York City, contributed three pastel works—The Champ, Shamanic, and Harbinger—rooted in Bolivian Carnival mask iconography. Her pieces engage with ritual symbolism, cultural memory, and identity, creating a dialogue with Ferrara’s performance. Rachko’s disciplined pastel technique and intellectual rigour enrich the exhibition’s exploration of parasitism as both empowerment and possession.
Singapore-based artist Rajul Shah presented works inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi, emphasizing healing and resilience after trauma. Her acrylic on linen painting ReBirth (173 x 110 cm) uses vivid reds, magentas, and gold leaf to symbolize the struggle of recovery and transformation within parasitic societal structures. Shah’s textured, layered technique invites introspection on personal and collective renewal.
French-Israeli artist Colette Leinman’s Le tableau naît du tableau (2016), a large-scale marker drawing on plastic mesh, explores the colour blue as a metaphor for perception, memory, and philosophical inquiry. The permeable mesh surface acts as a metaphor for parasitic infiltration, challenging traditional painting conventions while commenting on fragility and resilience. Leinman’s interdisciplinary practice combines poetry, scholarship, and visual experimentation, enriching the exhibition’s conceptual depth.
Composer and visual artist Justin Menendez developed the projection art and soundscape for Parasitó. Inspired by Hans Zimmer, Menendez created an auditory environment incorporating recordings of Mumbai’s urban sounds and live guitar improvisations that interact with Ferrara’s performance. His digital brushstroke projections ripple across gallery walls, symbolizing the instability and hidden fissures within urban and social systems.
Bolivianos Series, Barbara Rachko
Soft Pastel on Sandpaper - 66 x 51 cm, Framed - 80 x 72 cm US$ 10,000 excl. VAT
Soft Pastel on Sandpaper - 66 x 51 cm, Framed - 80 x 72 cm US$ 10,000 excl. VAT
Dutch artist Arie Otten utilizes mixed media on reclaimed materials to express themes of transformation and resilience. His work Blue Blood Number 4/5 reflects his emergency responder background, conveying the fragility and intensity of human life. Otten’s improvisational approach and social engagement align with Parasitó’s exploration of renewal amid decay.
Canadian artist Susan Fraser-Hughes creates charcoal drawings on frosted mylar, meditating on light, shadow, memory, and human connection to nature. Her piece In Conversation with the Woods 16 evokes a contemplative dialogue with the environment, offering a counterpoint to parasitic consumption by emphasizing interdependence and ecological harmony. Parasitó situates itself within a lineage of artists who have used parasitism as a metaphor to critique consumption and exploitation. References include Alberto Heredia’s sculptural assemblages from refuse, Jay Batlle’s food ritual critiques, Piero Manzoni’s provocative conceptual art, and Natalia LL’s feminist explorations of consumption. The exhibition also acknowledges
East Asian traditions employing mimicry and intrusion as metaphors for cultural resilience. By weaving these histories with contemporary practices, Parasitó highlights parasitism as an embedded human condition and urgent social concern. The vernissage preparation involved a global team of artists and curators converging in Mumbai, working intensively to realize the exhibition within 48 hours. Collaborations between Ferrara and Menendez produced an improvised musical score that enhanced the performance’s immediacy. Institutional support from the Consulate of Mexico reinforced the show’s international scope, reflecting Vedica’s mission to dissolve cultural boundaries through art.
Dorron Britz, the curator of Parasitó, is a distinguished multidisciplinary artist and art critic based at Arts University Plymouth, London. Britz’s curatorial practice emphasizes critical inquiry into contemporary artistic discourse, exploring identity, cultural narratives, and transformation. Britz’s leadership roles in higher education and student governance complement his artistic and critical work, underpinning his commitment to fostering dialogue and innovation within the arts.
Parasitó, Susan Fraser-Hughes [Left], Rajul Shah [Right]
The international scope of Parasitó is another key aspect of its significance. By bringing together artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, the exhibition fosters cross-cultural dialogue and highlights the global nature of the issues it addresses. This diversity of perspectives enriches the exhibition and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the themes of parasitism and consumption.
The collaboration between Vedica Art Studios and Gallery and the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai is a testament to the power of international cooperation in the arts. This partnership has enabled the realization of a complex and ambitious exhibition, demonstrating the potential for art to transcend cultural boundaries and foster global dialogue.
In conclusion, Parasitó is a groundbreaking exhibition that offers a profound exploration of the themes of parasitism, consumption, and ecological collapse. Through its multidisciplinary approach and international scope, it challenges audiences to reflect on their own complicity in these systems and to envision pathways toward resilience and renewal. The exhibition stands as a testament to the power of art to provoke thought, inspire change, and foster cross-cultural dialogue.
Mixed Media on Paper - 41 x 29 cm € 300 excl. VAT
Mixed Media on Paper - 41 x 29 cm € 300 excl. VAT
Disruption, Carol Hartman, 2024
Acrylic on Linen - 173 x 110cm On hold
Oil on Canvas - 84 x 230 in US$ 200,000 excl. VAT
Parasitó
In collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai
Opening event – 5 – 8 PM, 28th August 2025
Artists exhibited – Susan Fraser-Hughes (Canada), Barbara Rachko (USA), Rajul Shah (USA – Singapore), Arie Otten (Netherlands), Colette Leinman (French-Israeli), Carol Hartman (USA)
Curation by Donald (Dorron) Britz
Location – Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India
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website: https://www.vedicaartgallery.com
