Celebrating Eezhavati, and the Global Treaty on Genome Freedom
We invite you to join us in joyfully celebrating the anniversary both of the Global Treaty on Genome Freedom, and also of the founding of Eezhavati, perhaps the foremost pioneer in the field of corporate ethno-biotechnology.
The liberty to manipulate the human genome has not only transformed genetic research but given new hope to many communities decimated by colonial rule and subsequent genocide. Eezhavati itself was born from the resilience of the Eelam Tamil nation and its diaspora, which reflects the spirit of a people shaped by struggle and shared sacrifice. Together we celebrate the sacred bond between technology and spirituality that could allow us to transcend the traumas of history.
“Our mission was made possible by the divine freedoms that are now enshrined in law,” explains Nagini Tamizhchelvan, Chief Executive Officer of Eezhavati, as they reflect on what the company has achieved. “This hallowed legislation enables us to forge a future where our genetic ancestry is not only defined and preserved, but venerated as part of the cosmic tapestry. As Shaivaites, we know that each individual embodies a fragment of the divine consciousness; as technologists we are proud to empower society to confront the many profound global challenges we face, while protecting valuable cultural and biological identities in an ever-changing world.”
As we embrace this auspicious occasion, we recall the words of the ancient Tamil text Purananuru: “யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்“ – “To each their own land, and to all, a sense of kinship.”
With Eezhavati, Ilavenil Vasuky Jayapalan imagines a near future where a CRISPR fertility clinic specializing in Eelam Tamil genes celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Global Genome Freedom Act of 2037. Using film, sculpture and performance, the project touches on themes of technology and power, genocide and re-birth, evolution and neo-eugenics, seen through the prism of Hindu cosmology. Eezhavati is Jayapalan’s first institutional solo exhibition.
Ilavenil Vasuky Jayapalan (b. 1991) studied at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. He has exhibited widely, including at The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, K4, Hulias, Fotogalleriet, and BO (Oslo), and Sezon Art Gallery (Tokyo). Jayapalan is a longtime collaborator of artists M.I.A., Christopher Kulendran Thomas and Annika Kuhlmann; their collaborative works have been shown in music festivals around the world and at art institutions such as the ICA (London), de Young Museum (San Francisco), Kunsthalle Zürich and Künstwerke (Berlin).
Eezhavati is supported by Kulturdirektoratet.