Subodh Gupta: From Far Away Uncle Moon Calls

Subodh Gupta Chanda Mama door ke (From Far Away Uncle Moon Calls) 2015 Found aluminium utensils, fish strings, steel Unique 274 x 487 x 487 cm Installation view: Subodh Gupta. Invisible Reality Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Somerset/UK February 12 - May 2, 2016 Photo: Ken Adlard Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
Sat 14 Jan – Sat 11 Mar 2017 

The Mead Gallery presents a major exhibition by one of India’s foremost contemporary artists, Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is famous for transforming the everyday materials of Indian life into artworks. Working across painting, sculpture and installation, in Gupta’s hands objects such as tiffin boxes, cooking utensils and milk pails are used to reflect on the economic transformation of India during his lifetime and question the ambivalence of a society caught between traditional customs and globalisation, booming wealth and poverty. The artist’s work – beautiful, sensuous and frequently spectacular – encourages viewers to question the material, cultural and spiritual values attributed to objects, including pondering the inner life of used and discarded cooking vessels.

Subodh Gupta was born in Khagaul, Bihar, in India in 1964 and now lives and works in New Delhi. The artist has exhibited internationally at galleries including the National Gallery of Australia in Melbourne; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. He is represented by Hauser & Wirth in Zurich, London, New York, Somerset and Los Angeles.

Room

 

Sat 6 May – Sat 24 Jun 2017

Room is an exhibition of installations, sculptures and photographs by international women artists, which variously explore ideas around architecture and the domestic environment – historically perceived as a female sphere of activity.

Curated by Laura Lord from Sadie Coles HQ, London, Room reflects the multiple, often concurrent, meanings and functions of the room. It represents work produced from the 1970s to present day, which envisage the room as an erotically charged or psychological space, alongside pieces which emphasise the structural or aesthetic properties of interior space.

Nan Goldin’s photographic series, Empty Rooms, Berlin/Hamburg (1983-96), taken in brothels, hotels and gay bars, speaks of absent human subjects and activities that have taken place there. Beverly Buchanan’s series of miniature houses (2009-12), roughly crafted out of wood, allude to shacks, cabins and other basic human dwellings, including those damaged by hurricanes. Heidi Bucher’s Herrenzimmer (1977-78) or ‘room skin’ is an installation made by moulding, in skin-like sheets of latex, the interior of her father’s study in the parental home. The exhibition also includes Cell XVII (Portrait) (2000) by Louise Bourgeois, in which a single elongated head is housed within a glass-fronted cage: a structure both protective and imprisoning. Together, such works depict the room as a tangible entity, rooted in a specific place and time, and yet charged with emotional and imaginative resonance.

A selection of visitor comments:

“Another stimulating exhibition brought to our area. Thank you to the curating and commissioning teams.”

“Great exhibition of great artists. Well balanced combination of 2D and 3D works. It is absolute pleasure to see artworks by Francesca Woodman, Louise Bourgeois and Heidi Bucher particularly.”

“Those artists have been researched for my dissertation and seeing the artworks in [the] flesh underpins what I have been looking for. The subject of femininity and domesticity is great moved to the public space of gallery from intimate sphere of home.”

“Fantastic, innovative, well curated! Sets in motion a thousand thoughts. Great work.”

“Eye-opener to so many of life’s varied aspects. Loved it. Thank you for hosting.”

“A fascinating exhibition, with a clear theme throughout all of the chosen works – Always enjoy visiting!”

“Really nice exhibition. The staff is really nice and kind! Thank you!”

“Great selection of works! Especially liked the Bourgeois and the Woodman.”

“Gave rise to an excellent discussion. Once we ‘got into’ the artwork the ore we saw and hopefully understood.”

“Evocative rooms – especially the shanty shacks, the Romanian kitchen + the Herrenzimmer. The idea of the homemade den was priceless – and fun!”

“Amazing selection of examples of work that touched the experiences of people + their living conditions, entertainment and work. I liked Penny Slinger’s surreal drama and Beverly Buchanan’s shanty town shacks. As a group we had plenty to discuss ad draw out opinions.”

“Concise theme, well presented. Especially liking the wooden houses and photography.”

“Just love the latex piece [by] Heidi Bucher – so lucky to see this! A friend saw the ‘Teenage Room’ & says it has helped her understand her 17 yr old son.