EXHIBITION "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar at Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai > 2nd December 2015 to 6th January 2016
Time :
2nd December : 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm Add to Calendar 02/12/2015 14:00 02/12/2015 20:00 Asia/Kolkata Opening of "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar Event Page : http://www.delhievents.com/2015/11/exhibition-crossing-lakshmana-rekha.html Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030 DD/MM/YYYY - Opening
3rd December to 6th January : 10.00 am - 7.00 pm (Sundays by appointment only) Add to Calendar 03/12/2015 14:00 06/01/2016 20:00 Asia/Kolkata EXHIBITION "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar Event Page : http://www.delhievents.com/2015/11/exhibition-crossing-lakshmana-rekha.html Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030 DD/MM/YYYY - Exhibition on View
Entry : Free
Venue : Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030
Venue Info : www.latitude28.com | Nearest Metro Station - 'Saket(Yellow Line)'
Event Description : Latitude 28 Presents "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar.
Katharina Kakar, born in 1967 in Germany, moved to India in 2003 with her husband, renowned writer and psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar, to settle down in Goa. Armed with an eclectic educational background (she studied Comparative Religion, Anthropology and Indian Art History at the Free University, Berlin), Katha - as she is fondly known - is now bringing forth her deep understanding of Indian society and culture in a solo exhibition titled Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality.
Curated by eminent art historian Dr Alka Pande and represented by Latitude 28, the show includes drawings and mixed media installations (wall and floor) and addresses and redefines issues around sensuality and sexuality and the constraints women face in the 21st century. It looks at the different aspects of femininity from the female perspective to unseat the dominant male gaze.
Says Kakar: “I see myself as a cultural “bridge-builder” who understands myself and others within constantly shifting realities. Using materials I find in my immediate environment, such as spices, dried fish, ash and discarded things, and plastic items that I find on my walks, I experiment with new visual bodies, mainly installations, to address the changing global landscape of identities, including gender issues, for example reclaiming public space as a woman. Metal also plays an important part in my work, and I often integrate copper, iron or bronze in my installations.”
The different paths that have shaped her life and art are: being born in an artist family and exposed to art from early childhood; choosing to study comparative religion and anthropology; writing books on gender issues and teaching students; engaging deprived children in India with art through Tara Trust, an NGO; living in different cultures and marrying an Indian writer. She turned to full time art in 2012 and has since participated in Janela (a collateral event of Kochi Muziris Biennale, Kerala, Dec. 2014 to April 2015) and United Art Fair, Pragati Maidan, (New Delhi, Sept. 2013).
Crossing the Lakshman Rekha is her debut solo show featuring works done over almost two years. Desire (2014), Ink drawing on handmade paper, is a series of drawings dealing with women’s sensuality and sexual desires, drawing inspiration from the Indian concept of shringara. This particular drawing shows a young woman turning around, watching two parrots making love. “My ink drawings are based on motifs from Indian miniatures. I developed my own style or “handwriting” or “doodling” by creating patterns that are repeated in different drawings.” Sensuality (2015), an ink drawing on white paper, shows a young woman all by herself, smelling at a flower.
Shakti Peeth (2014) is a Wall hanging in copper, patina, acrylic paint in a wooden frame. India’s sacred geography is a web of interconnected pilgrimage places, worshipped by millions. It is believed that the falling body parts of the corpse of Sati have formed 51 mounts (peeths) across India, where the female power (shakti) is worshipped. “My series of Shakti Peeths relate to these “mounts” of female power.”
Infinite Shakti (2015), a wall hanging in copper, horsehair, pepper, acrylic paint in a wooden frame, reflecting the idea of (feminine) power, related to nature and fertility. “This particular wall hanging belongs to a series of six where I play with expressions of heat, movement, creative power and other elements. In these wall hangings I use spices such as pepper, chillies and cloves as well as other materials to create an abstract visual body relating to the concept of shakti.”
Unheard (2015) is a wall hanging in copper, wax, LED-lights on wood. “In my social work with young women in India, I repeatedly observed a severe anger, based on feelings of injustice, which often remains hidden and bottled up. The inside of the copper pots (or openings) of this wall hanging reflect an orange light on a copper mount, giving the visual impression of a volcano or something boiling and glowing from within. Unheard relates to the many silent cries, the pains and internal conflicts that remain untold stories. It also relates to the power within and our need to be heard, in order to empower oneself.”
Memory of the Future (I and II) (2015) is a dual piece installation, the first made in copper cylinder, bronze skulls, burned clay; and the second a wall hanging of 144 wax skulls in a golden frame hanging above a copper table with a skull and an artificial butterfly in a jar, that starts moving when the copper lid of the jar is tapped. “With this installation I relate to the issue of missing girls. The gender gap in Indian society does not only reflect the preference of sons through selective abortion of female fetuses, but is also caused through neglect, such as less medical attention or less food for daughters in comparison to sons.”
December 26, 2012 (2015) is a floor installation of wooden items from a traditional metal workshop and copper rod. This work refers to the Nirbhaya rape case that triggered protests across the continent and lead to a heightened awareness of gender issues in India. The number of reported rapes and their brutality is alarming, so is other form of violence against women, such as acid throwing or bride burning. The ongoing disrespect and aggression towards women, who cross into public space, which in India is culturally “male space”, is addressed here.
Screw You! (2015) is an Installation of reddish-purple female heads, made of wax, shiny copper nails driven into them like into voodoo dolls. “I refer to women, living life on their own terms, disregarding the unspoken cultural “contracts” of a deeply patriarchal society. They are often looked at with contempt and suspicion, and thus screwed as much as they screw the cultural expectations and role models imposed on them”.
Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha (2015) is an installation created out of Wax Body Parts and rose pedals. Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha, also the title of the exhibition, has become a powerful cultural idiom of crossing moral boundaries, referring to Lakshmana drawing a line which Sita is not allowed to cross. When she did, Ravana abducted her – a story of the Ramayana known by every Indian. “My installation consists of a large empty circle, filled with rose pedals, and several hundred wax body parts (of my own body) placed beyond the line drawn by Lakshmana. The installation not only refers to women’s vulnerability in public space, but also to the issue of public and private space and the growing visibility of women in that space. It was no coincidence that the crossing of the Lakshmana Rekha was quoted so often by politicians after the Nirbhaya rape case. Not only are women made partly responsible for violence happening to them, but they are also pushed back into private, “controllable” space and role expectations. For women to reclaim public space that is denied to them, becomes significant in redefining gender roles within modern Indian society.”
Flow of Power is a visual body referring to the Great Goddess through her vahana, the lion. A lion heads with open mouth, made of fiberglass and covered in ash, will be mounted on a pedestal. 64 tubes, referring to the stream of blood and its ambivalent power and potency, come out the lion's open mouth. Each tube filled with a blood like fluid, leads to a head of 64 female heads, also made of fiberglass and covered with ash, some of them turning red.
The installation titled Reinterpreting the Kamasutra consists of three iron tables with identical Kamasutra Picture Books, opened at different chapters. The first book has text stamped on the left side and a copper item on its right; the second book has the words “Kama interrupted” stamped at the left side and a screen set into the book on its right with manipulated photos referring to the vulgar side of sexual desire; the third book has text stamped on the left side and a copper breast on its right.
Related Links : Exhibitions
2nd December : 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm Add to Calendar 02/12/2015 14:00 02/12/2015 20:00 Asia/Kolkata Opening of "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar Event Page : http://www.delhievents.com/2015/11/exhibition-crossing-lakshmana-rekha.html Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030 DD/MM/YYYY - Opening
3rd December to 6th January : 10.00 am - 7.00 pm (Sundays by appointment only) Add to Calendar 03/12/2015 14:00 06/01/2016 20:00 Asia/Kolkata EXHIBITION "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar Event Page : http://www.delhievents.com/2015/11/exhibition-crossing-lakshmana-rekha.html Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030 DD/MM/YYYY - Exhibition on View
Entry : Free
Venue : Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, New Delhi - 110030
Venue Info : www.latitude28.com | Nearest Metro Station - 'Saket(Yellow Line)'
Event Description : Latitude 28 Presents "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar.
Katharina Kakar, born in 1967 in Germany, moved to India in 2003 with her husband, renowned writer and psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar, to settle down in Goa. Armed with an eclectic educational background (she studied Comparative Religion, Anthropology and Indian Art History at the Free University, Berlin), Katha - as she is fondly known - is now bringing forth her deep understanding of Indian society and culture in a solo exhibition titled Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality.
Curated by eminent art historian Dr Alka Pande and represented by Latitude 28, the show includes drawings and mixed media installations (wall and floor) and addresses and redefines issues around sensuality and sexuality and the constraints women face in the 21st century. It looks at the different aspects of femininity from the female perspective to unseat the dominant male gaze.
Says Kakar: “I see myself as a cultural “bridge-builder” who understands myself and others within constantly shifting realities. Using materials I find in my immediate environment, such as spices, dried fish, ash and discarded things, and plastic items that I find on my walks, I experiment with new visual bodies, mainly installations, to address the changing global landscape of identities, including gender issues, for example reclaiming public space as a woman. Metal also plays an important part in my work, and I often integrate copper, iron or bronze in my installations.”
The different paths that have shaped her life and art are: being born in an artist family and exposed to art from early childhood; choosing to study comparative religion and anthropology; writing books on gender issues and teaching students; engaging deprived children in India with art through Tara Trust, an NGO; living in different cultures and marrying an Indian writer. She turned to full time art in 2012 and has since participated in Janela (a collateral event of Kochi Muziris Biennale, Kerala, Dec. 2014 to April 2015) and United Art Fair, Pragati Maidan, (New Delhi, Sept. 2013).
Crossing the Lakshman Rekha is her debut solo show featuring works done over almost two years. Desire (2014), Ink drawing on handmade paper, is a series of drawings dealing with women’s sensuality and sexual desires, drawing inspiration from the Indian concept of shringara. This particular drawing shows a young woman turning around, watching two parrots making love. “My ink drawings are based on motifs from Indian miniatures. I developed my own style or “handwriting” or “doodling” by creating patterns that are repeated in different drawings.” Sensuality (2015), an ink drawing on white paper, shows a young woman all by herself, smelling at a flower.
Shakti Peeth (2014) is a Wall hanging in copper, patina, acrylic paint in a wooden frame. India’s sacred geography is a web of interconnected pilgrimage places, worshipped by millions. It is believed that the falling body parts of the corpse of Sati have formed 51 mounts (peeths) across India, where the female power (shakti) is worshipped. “My series of Shakti Peeths relate to these “mounts” of female power.”
Infinite Shakti (2015), a wall hanging in copper, horsehair, pepper, acrylic paint in a wooden frame, reflecting the idea of (feminine) power, related to nature and fertility. “This particular wall hanging belongs to a series of six where I play with expressions of heat, movement, creative power and other elements. In these wall hangings I use spices such as pepper, chillies and cloves as well as other materials to create an abstract visual body relating to the concept of shakti.”
Unheard (2015) is a wall hanging in copper, wax, LED-lights on wood. “In my social work with young women in India, I repeatedly observed a severe anger, based on feelings of injustice, which often remains hidden and bottled up. The inside of the copper pots (or openings) of this wall hanging reflect an orange light on a copper mount, giving the visual impression of a volcano or something boiling and glowing from within. Unheard relates to the many silent cries, the pains and internal conflicts that remain untold stories. It also relates to the power within and our need to be heard, in order to empower oneself.”
Memory of the Future (I and II) (2015) is a dual piece installation, the first made in copper cylinder, bronze skulls, burned clay; and the second a wall hanging of 144 wax skulls in a golden frame hanging above a copper table with a skull and an artificial butterfly in a jar, that starts moving when the copper lid of the jar is tapped. “With this installation I relate to the issue of missing girls. The gender gap in Indian society does not only reflect the preference of sons through selective abortion of female fetuses, but is also caused through neglect, such as less medical attention or less food for daughters in comparison to sons.”
December 26, 2012 (2015) is a floor installation of wooden items from a traditional metal workshop and copper rod. This work refers to the Nirbhaya rape case that triggered protests across the continent and lead to a heightened awareness of gender issues in India. The number of reported rapes and their brutality is alarming, so is other form of violence against women, such as acid throwing or bride burning. The ongoing disrespect and aggression towards women, who cross into public space, which in India is culturally “male space”, is addressed here.
Screw You! (2015) is an Installation of reddish-purple female heads, made of wax, shiny copper nails driven into them like into voodoo dolls. “I refer to women, living life on their own terms, disregarding the unspoken cultural “contracts” of a deeply patriarchal society. They are often looked at with contempt and suspicion, and thus screwed as much as they screw the cultural expectations and role models imposed on them”.
Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha (2015) is an installation created out of Wax Body Parts and rose pedals. Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha, also the title of the exhibition, has become a powerful cultural idiom of crossing moral boundaries, referring to Lakshmana drawing a line which Sita is not allowed to cross. When she did, Ravana abducted her – a story of the Ramayana known by every Indian. “My installation consists of a large empty circle, filled with rose pedals, and several hundred wax body parts (of my own body) placed beyond the line drawn by Lakshmana. The installation not only refers to women’s vulnerability in public space, but also to the issue of public and private space and the growing visibility of women in that space. It was no coincidence that the crossing of the Lakshmana Rekha was quoted so often by politicians after the Nirbhaya rape case. Not only are women made partly responsible for violence happening to them, but they are also pushed back into private, “controllable” space and role expectations. For women to reclaim public space that is denied to them, becomes significant in redefining gender roles within modern Indian society.”
Flow of Power is a visual body referring to the Great Goddess through her vahana, the lion. A lion heads with open mouth, made of fiberglass and covered in ash, will be mounted on a pedestal. 64 tubes, referring to the stream of blood and its ambivalent power and potency, come out the lion's open mouth. Each tube filled with a blood like fluid, leads to a head of 64 female heads, also made of fiberglass and covered with ash, some of them turning red.
The installation titled Reinterpreting the Kamasutra consists of three iron tables with identical Kamasutra Picture Books, opened at different chapters. The first book has text stamped on the left side and a copper item on its right; the second book has the words “Kama interrupted” stamped at the left side and a screen set into the book on its right with manipulated photos referring to the vulgar side of sexual desire; the third book has text stamped on the left side and a copper breast on its right.
Related Links : Exhibitions
EXHIBITION "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar at Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai > 2nd December 2015 to 6th January 2016
![EXHIBITION "Crossing the Lakshmana Rekha: Shakti, Sensuality, Sexuality" solo art show by Katharina Kakar at Latitude 28, F 208 GF, Lado Sarai > 2nd December 2015 to 6th January 2016]()
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Wednesday, January 06, 2016
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