Soumya Sankar Bose on Reconstructing Forgotten Histories Through Artist Books

In an interview with Lenscratch, artist Soumya Sankar Bose discusses his practice of reconstructing erased histories through photography, film, and artist books. Bose, born in 1990 in Midnapore, India, and based in Kolkata, addresses the Marichjhapi massacre of 1979, where thousands of Bengali refugees were killed in the Sundarbans, and his mother's disappearance in 1969. His book 'Where the Birds Never Sing' (2020) documents the massacre through oral histories and archival materials, as no official archive exists. 'A Discreet Exit Through Darkness | Things We Lost Last Night' (2025) explores his mother's disappearance through two narratives: his grandfather's search and his mother's fragmented memories. 'Let's Sing an Old Song' (2021) focuses on jatra folk theatre artists. Bose's research involves years of travel to remote areas like Mana Camp and Dandakaranya, building trust with survivors. He emphasizes that books are more durable than exhibitions for carrying histories forward. His upcoming project 'We Need to Talk in Whispers' is based on a diary found under a train seat. Bose received the Magnum Foundation's Social Justice Fellowship (2017), was named Hello! India's Emerging Artist of the Year (2023), and won the Louis Roederer Discovery Public Award at Les Rencontres d'Arles (2023). His work is held in collections including MoMA New York, Tate Modern London, and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.