Radio Show Episode 4 Explores Religious Coexistence and K.G. Subramanyan's War of the Relics
The fourth episode of Radio Show Me What Democracy Looks Like, hosted by Richard Finlay Fletcher and aired on September 16, 2026, delves into the theme of religious coexistence within the visual culture of democracy. It centers on K.G. Subramanyan's mural War of the Relics, created in 2013 as his final piece before his passing in June 2016. This 2.7 by 10.9-meter artwork, produced after his surgery, illustrates conflicts among tribes and highlights religious intolerance. R. Siva Kumar discusses the initial chaos of the mural, which unveils more profound stories. The episode features a segment about meeting Subramanyan in Santiniketan, a video tribute, and concludes with the Howard Gospel Choir performing Lift Every Voice and Sing. A footnote acknowledges Niillas Somby's interactions with First Nation people in Canada, recognizing Linnea Dick and Candice Hopkins.
Key facts
- Episode 4 of Radio Show Me What Democracy Looks Like was released on September 16, 2026, hosted by Richard Finlay Fletcher.
- The episode focuses on representations of religious coexistence in the visual culture of democracy.
- K.G. Subramanyan's 2013 mural War of the Relics is his final mural before his death in June 2016.
- The mural measures 2.7 by 10.9 meters and was painted by the artist at age eighty-eight shortly after major surgery.
- R. Siva Kumar describes the mural in The documenta 14 Reader as depicting warring tribes, sectarian hostilities, and religious intolerance.
- The episode includes a segment on meeting K.G. Subramanyan in Santiniketan from Exergue on documenta 14.
- The musical outro features the Howard Gospel Choir performing Lift Every Voice and Sing, with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and music by J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954) in 1905.
- Niillas Somby recounts being adopted by seven different First Nation people in British Columbia, Canada, and acknowledges Linnea Dick and Candice Hopkins.
Entities
Artists
- K.G. Subramanyan
- Richard Finlay Fletcher
- R. Siva Kumar
- Natasha Ginwala
- James Weldon Johnson
- J. Rosamond Johnson
- Niillas Somby
- Linnea Dick
- Candice Hopkins
Institutions
- documenta 14
- Howard Gospel Choir
- The documenta 14 Reader
- Exergue on documenta 14
- Radio Show Me What Democracy Looks Like
Locations
- Santiniketan
- India
- Canada
- British Columbia