Dialogue as Art Reading Vikas Swarup’s Q & A with Daya Krishna

Abstract

In this essay I propose to facilitate a dialogue between the thoughts of conceptual artist and philosopher, Daya Krishna, and the work of literary artist, Vikas Swarup. The central concept that will be “interrogated” in this dialogue is that of knowledge. I will apply my understanding of Daya Krishna’s conceptualization of the knowledge enterprise on to Vikas Swarup’s attitude toward knowledge as embodied in his 2005 novel, Q & A. This exercise serves to create a context in which conceptions of knowledge from diverse fields (hardcore philosophy and popular culture) can be in dialogue with one another, and thereby enhance meaning. Daya Krishna observes that the loss of certainty and proof in our postmodern age erodes the concept of knowledge. He alternately suggests new indicators with which to define knowledge, indicators which factor in chance and probability, and take into account inherent moral qualities of knowledge. I argue that this alternative model of knowledge finds an expression in Swarup’s novel.