Not all boys: This performance in Mumbai wants viewers to explore the fluidity of boyhood

In a world where ldquoboys will be boysrdquo often serves as an allencompassing justification for traditional notions of masculinity what if we flipped the script What if we strip away the labels society places on the concept of masculinity and what it means to be a boy What if boyhood was not a static concept but a dynamic and evolving spectrumOn September 29 Boys Will Be Toys a groundbreaking multidisciplinary project by artists Humhu Ankit Verma and TITO asks audiences to explore these questions through an immersive performance at Harkat Studios This thoughtprovoking journey through photography theatre and audiovisual art attempts to dismantle traditional ideas of masculinity and genderFemme Side of Boys Will Be ToysldquoBoyhood seems to be defined to the T and set in stone by popular mediardquo says Humhu in an interview with Sunday MidDay ldquoBut if we look closer gender expression seems very fluid and volatile even within their constraints Dualities like masculinity and femininity are like two sides of the same coin and it is hard to define exactly when and how one transitions into the other Their conceptions differ majorly across various cultures and societies around the world They also change drastically with time For instance in the first half of the 20th century the colour pink was associated with boys and blue with girls But thanks to aggressive advertising campaigns of toy companies like Lego and Barbie dolls in the 60s it completely switched and pink became a feminine colour and blue a masculine onerdquo he continuesThis project emerged from a seemingly spontaneous moment of collaboration ldquoIt all started quite randomly at my studiordquo shares Humhu ldquoThe three of us got together and started shooting some pictures As we collated them we realised we had enough material for a cohesive photobookrdquo This initial discovery laid the groundwork for a broader vision leading to the incorporation of performance and audiovisual elementsThe photobook a central component of the project captures moments that explore traditional gender binaries Humhu who began his artistic journey in theatre before embracing visual arts explains ldquoEach medium gave us a new canvas to play with these two binariesmdashPink and Bluerdquo Through still images the photobook visually contrasts masculine and feminine representations setting the stage for the more dynamic elements of the projectMasc Side of Boys Will Be ToysAnkit Verma known for his bold experimentation brings an added layer of depth to Boys Will Be Toys ldquoPink has always been my favourite colourrdquo he says ldquoI didnrsquot even have to thank Barbie for making it acceptable as a lsquoManlyrsquo colour in the mainstreamrdquo This personal connection underscores his exploration of societal definitions of masculinity and the tugofwar between traditional andmodern perceptionsThe projectrsquos unique blend of themes draws from an intriguing intersection of art and science ldquoAs much as people like to demarcate and differentiate the arts and the sciences if you look deeper there are always parallels between the two Especially when it comes to quantum physics therersquos a mystical and abstract sense to itrdquo Humhu notes By marrying concepts from quantum physics with gender deconstruction the performance explores how fluidity and probability apply to both fields ldquoGender has been traditionally understood as a binary and as an absolute pretty much like other dualities like yin and yang rich and poor master and slave etc Quantum physics encourages us to look beyond the obvious and to think in terms of probabilities much like how gender should be viewed beyond binary normsrdquo he explainsThe performance at Harkat Studios will embody this complex interplay of art and science Attendees can expect an immersive experience where the photobook the audiovisual installation and the live performance by Humhu and Vermacome together to challenge and redefine boyhood ldquoThe theatrical element is more visceral relying primarily on voice and movementrdquo says Humhu Ultimately Boys Will Be Toys aims to expand our understanding of boyhood ldquoThe one takeaway we want people to have is to reimagine boyhood in terms of a broad spectrum instead of confining it in set boundariesrdquo Humhu concludes ldquoWe want people to make the exploration of boyhood more playful and experimentalrdquoWhere Harkat Studios MumbaiWhen September 296 PM and 8 PMprice Rs 300 onwardsTo Book insiderin