Tara L.C. Sood

Fascinated by the tradition of street magicians in India, Tara L. C. Sood has created a body of work combining documentary and theatrical production about this centuries-old practice. The French-Indian photographer invited the ten most famous street magicians of southern India to perform at a fictional magic convention in Bangalore. Over the course of several days, the magicians showcased their most impressive tricks. The film and photos portray the bearers of a thousand-year-old tradition, which combines performances and mystical rituals. With The Great Mandrake Magic Convention, Sood questions the adaptation of these famous tricks in the West, where they have been mimicked for decades. Somewhere between reality and illusion, the installation is an original celebration of ancient knowledge and local ingenuity, in the heart of Vevey’s Musée Historique.