Subodh Gupta: What does the vessel contain, that the river does not
Following its critically-acclaimed presentation at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Subodh Gupta鈥檚 sculpture 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� will be on view for the first time outside India at Hauser & Wirth鈥檚 Savile Row gallery. Through his use of found, commonplace objects, the New Delhi-based artist explores cultural dislocation prevalent in an era of shifting powers, as well as personal histories. 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� evokes the conflicting feelings of belonging and displacement, movement and stability, and explores the liminal space between these states of being.
Inspired by the work of the 13th century Persian poet, Jal膩l ad-D墨n Muhammad R奴m墨, 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� is a traditional fishing boat from Kerala, India that measures over 20 metres and straddles the entire stretch of the gallery. The boat is filled from bow to stern with chairs, beds, window frames, fishing nets, plastic jars, cans, an old radio, cooking pots and pans, suitcases and a bicycle.
The ancient Sufi philosophy embedded in R奴m墨鈥榮 poetry speaks eloquently about the idea of the microcosm 鈥� the containing of an entire universe within the human soul. With this large-scale work, Gupta too creates a microcosm containing one person鈥檚 entire existence, bundled together and crammed into a vessel which appears as if it is about to set sail. For the artist, this boat ceases to be just a simple mode of transportation, but has evolved into an extension of the greater paradigm of survival, sustenance and livelihood.
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Following its critically-acclaimed presentation at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Subodh Gupta鈥檚 sculpture 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� will be on view for the first time outside India at Hauser & Wirth鈥檚 Savile Row gallery. Through his use of found, commonplace objects, the New Delhi-based artist explores cultural dislocation prevalent in an era of shifting powers, as well as personal histories. 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� evokes the conflicting feelings of belonging and displacement, movement and stability, and explores the liminal space between these states of being.
Inspired by the work of the 13th century Persian poet, Jal膩l ad-D墨n Muhammad R奴m墨, 鈥榃hat does the vessel contain, that the river does not鈥� is a traditional fishing boat from Kerala, India that measures over 20 metres and straddles the entire stretch of the gallery. The boat is filled from bow to stern with chairs, beds, window frames, fishing nets, plastic jars, cans, an old radio, cooking pots and pans, suitcases and a bicycle.
The ancient Sufi philosophy embedded in R奴m墨鈥榮 poetry speaks eloquently about the idea of the microcosm 鈥� the containing of an entire universe within the human soul. With this large-scale work, Gupta too creates a microcosm containing one person鈥檚 entire existence, bundled together and crammed into a vessel which appears as if it is about to set sail. For the artist, this boat ceases to be just a simple mode of transportation, but has evolved into an extension of the greater paradigm of survival, sustenance and livelihood.
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