"ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" a multimedia group exhibition at KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension > 11am-7pm on 24th April to 15th May 2015
Time : 11:00 am - 7:00 pm (Sundays Closed)
Add to Calendar
24-04-2015 11:00:00
15-05-2015 19:00:00
68
"ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" a multimedia group exhibition
Event Page : http://www.delhievents.com/2015/04/activating-space-sculptural-enquiry.html
KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension, New Delhi - 110017
DD/MM/YYYY
- Exhibition on View
Entry : Free
Venue : KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension, New Delhi - 110017
Area : Saket
Event Description : "ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" an exhibition, including drawings, video, mixed media installation, mirrors, metal, and even shadows,
Diverse Materials come together at Khoj Studios to create unique on-site installations
Participating artists are Gagan Singh, Lleah Smith & James Gatt, Pooja Iranna, Priyamwada Singh, Samrudh Dixit, Sanket Jadia, Shaily Gupta & Henri Fanthome, Sikan Kumar Panda, and Teja Gavankar.
Says Promona Sengupta, Program Manager at Khoj: “Activating Space at the core is interested in the awakening of Khoj as a physical architectural site. Since its refurbishment in 2013, the exterior of the Khoj building, its courtyard, terrace as well as various nooks and crannies have the potential to be explored by artists. Activating Space invites the most unusual, unique and bizarre materials into Khoj to permeate the exterior space and explore realms which otherwise can go by un-noticed. No interior studio or project space will be used in the installation of this exhibition.”
Khoj has chosen seven individual artists and two art collectives to use its pre-existing architecture/facade to sculpturally investigate the form and the site, to ignite a sense of discovery and wonder and to find an interesting dialogue between the two forms. Elements of exploration, disguise, and emphasis are all equally at play as artists are encouraged to explore the divisions of subtly and strength and harmony and contrast in the work and the building.
Activating Space is also a unique new program that departs from the specific, thematic orientation of most of the other residencies and exhibitions organised by Khoj. It invites sculptors, architects, visual artists and other creative practitioners to engage with Khoj within the loose and accommodative rubric of site-specificity.
Gagan Singh is a Graduate in Fine Arts from University of the Creative Arts, UK. His practice involves researching in Drawing through Sketchbooks, Animation, Installation and Writing. He says about his work at Khoj, “I am interested in how being in a site creates a certain impact on your mind, and also how the memory bank, or ‘the sense of visualization’ responds to a place. There is a trigger in the sense of imagination and dwelling in possible / impossible thinking. I would like to use the external spaces to create drawings, which could become interventions or lead to a new sense of perception of the same place.”
Lleah Smith & James Gatt are part of the art collective Dandelion which is an artist collective based in Sydney, Australia. They say about their work Oasis, “Life in India is undeniably chaotic, a land of millions, of the unexpected and of commotion, of loud noises, interesting smells, textured terrains and bargaining power. So, what does it mean to stop amongst the chaos and the communal and to escape even momentarily into a solo space for contemplation, personal reflection and silence? Rooftops in India offer this retreat; they are a space set apart from the people and the roads, the markets and the city, which offer a self-induced silence. Oasis is about providing a space for the viewer to sit silently with their thoughts and to simply be, even if only briefly. Colour, texture and unusual materialities become a gateway for this retreat, offering an experiential interaction with invisible space and visible architecture.”
Pooja Iranna has been working on the subject of architectural spaces for decades and is known not only for her watercolours, staple pin sculptures, photographical work but also videos. She says about her work Swaas, “The video is a single channel video which shows a single building breathing which takes our attention towards the spaces we create and then live in. These are alive and breathing just like us. They might be standing mute for some but they are very much there, stable and have a life as they carry our vibrations, which we are usually ignorant of. The video would be shown in an enclosed space at Khoj studio with the sound of deep breath echoing around. This is to activate the whole building as such.”
Priyamwada Singh is the founder of common Ground practice [coGroup] which is a New Delhi based practice founded in 2013. coGroup is a multi-disciplinary practice operating in the fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Design, Research & Development; with a focus on creating ecological, culturally specific and contemporary built environments.
Her work at Khoj is titled TIME TRACES – A Sensory Experiential TRACE of Khoj in/ through TIME. She says, “The Architecture of Khoj in its neutrality allows for all kinds of interesting provocations. Our attempt is to engage with the subtle façade of the building and propose a transient unique identity to its entrance. We propose to create an experience of the history of Khoj and the day-to-day interaction of the people and community the institution caters to. Our enquiry starts as a physical trace of the façade’s metal exoskeleton and its projection on the enclosing exterior walls. We mark points to trace the entrance void created by the metal exoskeleton. These points are woven together with brightly colored nylon strings such that the perceived cuboidal space is simultaneously defined and disrupted. This physical trace of the entrance void becomes a repository for attaching found and new materials such as metal tubes, OHP sheets etc.; bought and gathered from the Khirki village. The final physical traces get notated to trace the history of Khoj; as people move through and interact with the sculpture they are also encouraged to leave their traces (write/ notate) on the hanging pieces. The hanging pieces act like a large-scale wind-chime; the play of light and shadow with the strings and the colorful OHP sheets creates an ephemeral kaleidoscopic effect in the space – akin to the stained glass lit up interiors of churches and old havelis. The final sculpture becomes an interactive sensory experience of the history and day- to-day interactions of Khoj with its community.”
Samrudh Dixit has worked nationally on trans-disciplinary innovation projects that have spanned product and space design through/to music, structural design and services. He says, “It was 2011 when I visited Khoj for the first time it was an epiphany while finding the address I casually asked a pedestrian “Bhaiya ye Khoj kidhar hai?” I really adored the name ‘Khoj’ (place to discover within) and the space, signifies seen-unseen, known-unknown and lost-found. The act of finding is an extremely semiotic to a laminar flame of a burning candle. As it placed both the known and unknown (or soon to be known) in one’s eyesight. Keeping this symbol of a concord flame in mind I pondered over how to play with shadows. As I am keen on exploring fabric/cable/tensile sculptures, contrasting to the language of the building, creating harmony was a challenge. The idea is to create shadows using white canvas and integrating coloured cables/ropes exploring these grey areas (unknown soon to be known). All the ropes will be in tension hence straight but when placed in geometric array will create a visual curvature of the flame. Also the colour of the ropes graduating from dark red to light yellow will create a playful visual like that of flame, while passing the sculpture. Being on the roof it would provide a pleasant shady space to contemplate or discuss.”
Sanket Jadia is currently doing his Masters in Visual Arts from Ambedkar University Delhi. His work Identical Universe, Inverse Reality, attempts to engage with the dynamics of the existing space and architecture. The mirror wall functions as a reflection of the actual space creating the identical other of the self, real but inaccessible, imitative yet authentic. “The work is meant to provide an experience of one’s being in a space. Therefore, it is the beholder and not the object that becomes the central focus of the meaning production. The sight cognizing the ‘self’ and not the ‘other’ is what enhances the effect of this work.”
Architects Shaily Gupta & Henri Fanthome are working at Khoj together. They say, “The building of Khoj, in its present shape and form, and with its numerous stairs and landings, creates a spatial framework. Within the white walls, the stairs, the landings and with the tree - mixing the real with the imagined, the permanent, with the transient, the accessible with the inaccessible is the aim.”
Sikan Kumar Panda is a Delhi-based visual artist and a graduate in printmaking from University of Hyderabad. He says about his thread sculptural work Invisible Ways, “The internal character is invisible to the physical senses and yet it is responsible for the behaviour of external reality that is observed, directly or indirectly, by humans. The implication of this is that invisible inner world of creation is casual and therefore more important than the known human world. IN this thread sculpture, the circle represents earth and inside, multi-coloured threads depict each individual human activity. One single colour is one individual character. Outside, the white thread is the certain power which is not visible in our naked eye.”
Teja Gavankar’s project is called ‘Over Consuming’ which is a state of being occupied with many things. “Nowadays, all human beings are interconnected and weaved with each other in single time. The expression is sometimes ‘over consumed’. The same is also with our mind. With this concept I will produce one I-beam (H-beam). The I-beam will get added to the ceiling with wavy end on one side, as if, it’s got compressed by some pressure.”
Entry : Free
Venue : KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension, New Delhi - 110017
Area : Saket
Event Description : "ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" an exhibition, including drawings, video, mixed media installation, mirrors, metal, and even shadows,
Diverse Materials come together at Khoj Studios to create unique on-site installations
Participating artists are Gagan Singh, Lleah Smith & James Gatt, Pooja Iranna, Priyamwada Singh, Samrudh Dixit, Sanket Jadia, Shaily Gupta & Henri Fanthome, Sikan Kumar Panda, and Teja Gavankar.
Says Promona Sengupta, Program Manager at Khoj: “Activating Space at the core is interested in the awakening of Khoj as a physical architectural site. Since its refurbishment in 2013, the exterior of the Khoj building, its courtyard, terrace as well as various nooks and crannies have the potential to be explored by artists. Activating Space invites the most unusual, unique and bizarre materials into Khoj to permeate the exterior space and explore realms which otherwise can go by un-noticed. No interior studio or project space will be used in the installation of this exhibition.”
Khoj has chosen seven individual artists and two art collectives to use its pre-existing architecture/facade to sculpturally investigate the form and the site, to ignite a sense of discovery and wonder and to find an interesting dialogue between the two forms. Elements of exploration, disguise, and emphasis are all equally at play as artists are encouraged to explore the divisions of subtly and strength and harmony and contrast in the work and the building.
Activating Space is also a unique new program that departs from the specific, thematic orientation of most of the other residencies and exhibitions organised by Khoj. It invites sculptors, architects, visual artists and other creative practitioners to engage with Khoj within the loose and accommodative rubric of site-specificity.
Gagan Singh is a Graduate in Fine Arts from University of the Creative Arts, UK. His practice involves researching in Drawing through Sketchbooks, Animation, Installation and Writing. He says about his work at Khoj, “I am interested in how being in a site creates a certain impact on your mind, and also how the memory bank, or ‘the sense of visualization’ responds to a place. There is a trigger in the sense of imagination and dwelling in possible / impossible thinking. I would like to use the external spaces to create drawings, which could become interventions or lead to a new sense of perception of the same place.”
Lleah Smith & James Gatt are part of the art collective Dandelion which is an artist collective based in Sydney, Australia. They say about their work Oasis, “Life in India is undeniably chaotic, a land of millions, of the unexpected and of commotion, of loud noises, interesting smells, textured terrains and bargaining power. So, what does it mean to stop amongst the chaos and the communal and to escape even momentarily into a solo space for contemplation, personal reflection and silence? Rooftops in India offer this retreat; they are a space set apart from the people and the roads, the markets and the city, which offer a self-induced silence. Oasis is about providing a space for the viewer to sit silently with their thoughts and to simply be, even if only briefly. Colour, texture and unusual materialities become a gateway for this retreat, offering an experiential interaction with invisible space and visible architecture.”
Pooja Iranna has been working on the subject of architectural spaces for decades and is known not only for her watercolours, staple pin sculptures, photographical work but also videos. She says about her work Swaas, “The video is a single channel video which shows a single building breathing which takes our attention towards the spaces we create and then live in. These are alive and breathing just like us. They might be standing mute for some but they are very much there, stable and have a life as they carry our vibrations, which we are usually ignorant of. The video would be shown in an enclosed space at Khoj studio with the sound of deep breath echoing around. This is to activate the whole building as such.”
Priyamwada Singh is the founder of common Ground practice [coGroup] which is a New Delhi based practice founded in 2013. coGroup is a multi-disciplinary practice operating in the fields of Architecture, Urbanism, Design, Research & Development; with a focus on creating ecological, culturally specific and contemporary built environments.
Her work at Khoj is titled TIME TRACES – A Sensory Experiential TRACE of Khoj in/ through TIME. She says, “The Architecture of Khoj in its neutrality allows for all kinds of interesting provocations. Our attempt is to engage with the subtle façade of the building and propose a transient unique identity to its entrance. We propose to create an experience of the history of Khoj and the day-to-day interaction of the people and community the institution caters to. Our enquiry starts as a physical trace of the façade’s metal exoskeleton and its projection on the enclosing exterior walls. We mark points to trace the entrance void created by the metal exoskeleton. These points are woven together with brightly colored nylon strings such that the perceived cuboidal space is simultaneously defined and disrupted. This physical trace of the entrance void becomes a repository for attaching found and new materials such as metal tubes, OHP sheets etc.; bought and gathered from the Khirki village. The final physical traces get notated to trace the history of Khoj; as people move through and interact with the sculpture they are also encouraged to leave their traces (write/ notate) on the hanging pieces. The hanging pieces act like a large-scale wind-chime; the play of light and shadow with the strings and the colorful OHP sheets creates an ephemeral kaleidoscopic effect in the space – akin to the stained glass lit up interiors of churches and old havelis. The final sculpture becomes an interactive sensory experience of the history and day- to-day interactions of Khoj with its community.”
Samrudh Dixit has worked nationally on trans-disciplinary innovation projects that have spanned product and space design through/to music, structural design and services. He says, “It was 2011 when I visited Khoj for the first time it was an epiphany while finding the address I casually asked a pedestrian “Bhaiya ye Khoj kidhar hai?” I really adored the name ‘Khoj’ (place to discover within) and the space, signifies seen-unseen, known-unknown and lost-found. The act of finding is an extremely semiotic to a laminar flame of a burning candle. As it placed both the known and unknown (or soon to be known) in one’s eyesight. Keeping this symbol of a concord flame in mind I pondered over how to play with shadows. As I am keen on exploring fabric/cable/tensile sculptures, contrasting to the language of the building, creating harmony was a challenge. The idea is to create shadows using white canvas and integrating coloured cables/ropes exploring these grey areas (unknown soon to be known). All the ropes will be in tension hence straight but when placed in geometric array will create a visual curvature of the flame. Also the colour of the ropes graduating from dark red to light yellow will create a playful visual like that of flame, while passing the sculpture. Being on the roof it would provide a pleasant shady space to contemplate or discuss.”
Sanket Jadia is currently doing his Masters in Visual Arts from Ambedkar University Delhi. His work Identical Universe, Inverse Reality, attempts to engage with the dynamics of the existing space and architecture. The mirror wall functions as a reflection of the actual space creating the identical other of the self, real but inaccessible, imitative yet authentic. “The work is meant to provide an experience of one’s being in a space. Therefore, it is the beholder and not the object that becomes the central focus of the meaning production. The sight cognizing the ‘self’ and not the ‘other’ is what enhances the effect of this work.”
Architects Shaily Gupta & Henri Fanthome are working at Khoj together. They say, “The building of Khoj, in its present shape and form, and with its numerous stairs and landings, creates a spatial framework. Within the white walls, the stairs, the landings and with the tree - mixing the real with the imagined, the permanent, with the transient, the accessible with the inaccessible is the aim.”
Sikan Kumar Panda is a Delhi-based visual artist and a graduate in printmaking from University of Hyderabad. He says about his thread sculptural work Invisible Ways, “The internal character is invisible to the physical senses and yet it is responsible for the behaviour of external reality that is observed, directly or indirectly, by humans. The implication of this is that invisible inner world of creation is casual and therefore more important than the known human world. IN this thread sculpture, the circle represents earth and inside, multi-coloured threads depict each individual human activity. One single colour is one individual character. Outside, the white thread is the certain power which is not visible in our naked eye.”
Teja Gavankar’s project is called ‘Over Consuming’ which is a state of being occupied with many things. “Nowadays, all human beings are interconnected and weaved with each other in single time. The expression is sometimes ‘over consumed’. The same is also with our mind. With this concept I will produce one I-beam (H-beam). The I-beam will get added to the ceiling with wavy end on one side, as if, it’s got compressed by some pressure.”
Related Events : Exhibitions
"ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" a multimedia group exhibition at KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension > 11am-7pm on 24th April to 15th May 2015
!["ACTIVATING SPACE: A Sculptural Enquiry" a multimedia group exhibition at KHOJ International Artists' Association, S-17, Khirkee Extension > 11am-7pm on 24th April to 15th May 2015]()
Reviewed by DelhiEvents
on
Friday, May 15, 2015
Rating:
No comments:
Comment Below