In the first room titled 'Someone Else' 2011-12, and is based on the idea of a library of books that have either been written anonymously or under a pseudonym, for example there are books by; Emily Bronte (aka Ellis Bell), Herman Hesse (aka Emil Sinclair) and Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr Seuss). The reason there is a uses of pseudonyms and just not using any name is due to failure, judgement, gender, and persecution. Which offers an insight in to the social prejudices in different cultural contexts. Instead of the actual books there are 100 covers fabricated out of stainless steal, some of which are exact scaled replicas of the first editions, all stating the name of the book and the author as well as the reason for the authors anonymity which also appears on the spines of the books, the reason for the books being empty is perhaps to represent the the lack of the authors real identity. These book replicas are presented on shelves mounted on wall, just as you enter the first room.
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Someone Else' 2011-12 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Someone Else' 2011-12 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Someone Else' 2011-12 |
In the second room of Gupta's exhibition there was a big cloud like shape hanging from the ceiling, which are in fact 4000 microphones and it is duly named 'Singing Cloud', and was developed in collaboration with Magzarin Banaji (a professor of psychology at Harvard University). Interestingly the microphones had their functions reversed, so instead of them being used to record sound, they actually emit sound, specifically a 9 minute and 30 second soundtrack of a woman whispering, singing, speaking "I want to fly, high above in the sky, don’t push me away, we shall all fly, high above in the sky, I want to fly high above, in your sky, can you let it be, only your power, and not your greed, a part of me will die, by your side, taking you with me high high, above in the sky, while you sleep I shall wake up and fly." Which creates for an eerie cacophony.
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Singing Cloud' 2008-09 |
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| Close up of 'Singing Cloud' 2008-09 by Shilpa Gupta |
According to the exhibition guide that I acquired from The Arnolfini Gallery 'Singing Cloud considers the psychological impact of today's highly mediated information landscape, be it individual or the nation state,where fear and suspicion are cultivated'.
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| 'Untitled' (Motion Flap board) 2008-09 by Shilpa Gupta |
Room Three (really the same room as 'Singing Cloud') which was produced at the same time as 'Singing Cloud', and is in the form of a flap board, (similar to that of a train station which announces arrivals and departures) and is on a 20 minute loop. The motion flap board consists of 29 characters which change rhythmically, yet not randomly. Every line occurs for a few seconds and then changes. The numbers relate to time yet turn in to years, distances and tallies of people migrating and those lost in these movements, and are in fact exchanges that Gupta has had with philosophers, scientists and historians concerning the nature of the information media.
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| 'Untitled' (Motion Flap board) 2008-09 by Shilpa Gupta |
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| 'Untitled' (Motion Flap board) 2008-09 by Shilpa Gupta |
Everything that is written on the Motion Flap board
00:00
I SWITCHED ON
00:02 MY WIRELESS
00:09 AND THE SEA
00:00 AND THE SEA SANK
00:06 ONCE AGAIN
00:12 AND UP FLOATED
00:15 PEPPER TEA LEAVES
00:15 SOME SLAVES
00:00 NO LONGER ALIVE
00:02 MY WIRELESS
00:09 AND THE SEA
00:00 AND THE SEA SANK
00:06 ONCE AGAIN
00:12 AND UP FLOATED
00:15 PEPPER TEA LEAVES
00:15 SOME SLAVES
00:00 NO LONGER ALIVE
00:18
I SWITCH
00:19 I SWITCH OFF
WHY DO I REMEMBER
THE WORST OF IT ALL?
00:19 I SWITCH OFF
WHY DO I REMEMBER
THE WORST OF IT ALL?
I DISEMBARK HERE
I NEED TO TRAVEL
TO MOVE
BIRDS FLY
MEN FLY
AGE SEX RELIGION FLY
TIME RUNS EDLNEES
ENDLESS
0001944
TWO TWINS ARE AT WAR
0001944 IPANKIDSIATAN
0001944 PA KI S TAN
0001944 I N D I A
0000000 TRAIN 1 ON TMIE
0000000 CARRYING
1000000 DAED FROM PK TO IN
1000001 DAED FROM IN TO PK
0001946 TICKETLESS
0001947 BREATHLESS
0001944 IPANKIDSIATAN
0001944 PA KI S TAN
0001944 I N D I A
0000000 TRAIN 1 ON TMIE
0000000 CARRYING
1000000 DAED FROM PK TO IN
1000001 DAED FROM IN TO PK
0001946 TICKETLESS
0001947 BREATHLESS
ON LNAD
ON WTAER ON SKY
WITH ME YOU DROVE
ON ME YOU MOVED
WITH ME YOU GROOVED
WITH ME YOU MET
WITH ME YOU KILLED
WITH ME YOU DROVE
ON ME YOU MOVED
WITH ME YOU GROOVED
WITH ME YOU MET
WITH ME YOU KILLED
I NEED
TO GO WIRELESS
I WANT TO FLY HIGH WITH YOU
ACTUALLY JUST A BIT HIGHER
I WANT TO FLY HIGH WITH YOU
ACTUALLY JUST A BIT HIGHER
POWER
IS STRONG
GREED IS STRONGER
GREED IS STRONGER
IT
IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY
TO BE AFRAID
IT KEEPS US SAFE
TO BE AFRAID
IT KEEPS US SAFE
I WANT
TO STOP COUNTING
YOUR
YOURMINE
YOURMINEOUR
DEAD
000052 LONDON
001000 MUMBAI
002976 NEW YORK
060000 IRAQ
125000 KASHMIR
CAN YOU BE DEAD
AND STILL
HAVE A RELIGION
HAVE A SUB RELIGION
HAVE A RACE
HAVE A COLOUR
HAVE A CUOLOR DAED
HAVE A CASTE
HAVE A CTSAE SUB
HAVE A CASTE SUBSUB
YOUR
YOURMINE
YOURMINEOUR
DEAD
000052 LONDON
001000 MUMBAI
002976 NEW YORK
060000 IRAQ
125000 KASHMIR
CAN YOU BE DEAD
AND STILL
HAVE A RELIGION
HAVE A SUB RELIGION
HAVE A RACE
HAVE A COLOUR
HAVE A CUOLOR DAED
HAVE A CASTE
HAVE A CTSAE SUB
HAVE A CASTE SUBSUB
I HEAR
THE DEAD TRAVELING
FROM INTERIORS TO THE CENTER
BORDERS TO THE CENTER
OLD ROUTES TO THE CENTER
OLD ROUTE BANDIPORE
OLD ROUTE BASRA
OLD ROUTE SRINAGAR
OLD ROUTE KHAMMAM
OLD ROUTE NAGALAND
OLD ROUTE SONARI
OLD ROUTE CHAMPARAN
FALLING ON A
NEW ROUTE
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE MUMBAI
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE NEW YORK
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE PARIS
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE LONDON
FROM INTERIORS TO THE CENTER
BORDERS TO THE CENTER
OLD ROUTES TO THE CENTER
OLD ROUTE BANDIPORE
OLD ROUTE BASRA
OLD ROUTE SRINAGAR
OLD ROUTE KHAMMAM
OLD ROUTE NAGALAND
OLD ROUTE SONARI
OLD ROUTE CHAMPARAN
FALLING ON A
NEW ROUTE
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE MUMBAI
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE NEW YORK
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE PARIS
NEW ROUTE CITY CENTRE LONDON
20:30
TIME FOR NEWS
I SWITCH ON THE TV
I SEE A BOMB FALL
AND CAN FEEL NO PAIN
I SWITCH ON THE TV
I SEE A BOMB FALL
AND CAN FEEL NO PAIN
THOU
SHALL NOT KILL
USLENS RQEUIERD
USLENS RQEUIERD
HNIUDS
HINDUS
HNIUDS MUSLIMS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CHRISTIANS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CHRISTIANS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CRHSITAINS
BIHARIS
BIHARIS SUNNIS
BAIRHS SNUINS
HINDUS
HNIUDS MUSLIMS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CHRISTIANS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CHRISTIANS
HNIUDS MILSMUS CRHSITAINS
BIHARIS
BIHARIS SUNNIS
BAIRHS SNUINS
QD VD MNR XDS VDKK L QJDC
ARE WE NOT YET WELL MARKED
EVERYONE
IS EQUAL
BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE
MROE EUQAL TAHN OHTERS
BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE
MROE EUQAL TAHN OHTERS
2000
YEARS AGO JESUS
1300 YEARS AGO MUHAMMAD
2509 YEARS AGO RAM
WALKED THE EARTH
SO SHE SAYS
1300 YEARS AGO MUHAMMAD
2509 YEARS AGO RAM
WALKED THE EARTH
SO SHE SAYS
WE FOUND
TWINS
WE RAN TESTS
POSSIBLY FEAR IS GENETIC
AM BORN TO FEAR
YOUR CFEEDQDMBD
YOUR DIFFERENCE
YOUR COLOUR
YOUR COLOUR YES
YOUR COLOUR YES OR MAYBE
YOUR RACE MAYBE
YOUR RELIGION
YOUR RELIGION NO
DE SAID
WE RAN TESTS
POSSIBLY FEAR IS GENETIC
AM BORN TO FEAR
YOUR CFEEDQDMBD
YOUR DIFFERENCE
YOUR COLOUR
YOUR COLOUR YES
YOUR COLOUR YES OR MAYBE
YOUR RACE MAYBE
YOUR RELIGION
YOUR RELIGION NO
DE SAID
YOU
ARE BORN WITH A MEMORY
AM BORN WITH A MEMORY
200000 YEARS OLD
THAT KNOWS MORE
AM UNABLE TO CONTROL IT
AM UNABLE TO KNOW IT
AM BORN WITH A MEMORY
200000 YEARS OLD
THAT KNOWS MORE
AM UNABLE TO CONTROL IT
AM UNABLE TO KNOW IT
MY MEMORY
EXCLUDES ME
IN ITS CONVERSATION WITH
BLINKING LIGHT BOXES
WIHT WIRES
TRANSMITTING SECRET MESSAGES
WITH VOICES WE VOTE
WITH VOICES WE CHOOSE
OR NOT CHOOSE
TO KEEP US SAFE
UN SAFE
THEY CARE
SCARE
IN ITS CONVERSATION WITH
BLINKING LIGHT BOXES
WIHT WIRES
TRANSMITTING SECRET MESSAGES
WITH VOICES WE VOTE
WITH VOICES WE CHOOSE
OR NOT CHOOSE
TO KEEP US SAFE
UN SAFE
THEY CARE
SCARE
BUT
NC SAID
BELOW THE SURFACE
DUDQXNMD V MSR OD BD
EVERYONE WANTS PEACE
BELOW THE SURFACE
DUDQXNMD V MSR OD BD
EVERYONE WANTS PEACE
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Untitled' 2006 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Untitled' 2006 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Untitled' 2006 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Untitled' 2006 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'Untitled' 2006 |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'There is No Border Here' 2005-06 |
Room 5 is named 'There is No border Here' (2005-06) and it takes the form of a flag made up of yellow tape, which is stuck directly to the wall of the gallery (giving a very permanent feel to the piece). The flag to me symbols a nation, but according to the artist it means, "The flag is typically an emblem of nationhood, while considering the construction of national borders", which seems to be a recurring theme among Gupta's work. Printed on the tape is the phrase (and the title of the piece) THERE IS NO BORDER HERE which is repeated along each strip. and overall the flag says;
'I tried very hard to cut the sky in half, one for my lover and one for me, but the sky kept moving and the clouds from
his territory came into mine. I tried pushing it away, with both my hands, harder and harder but the sky kept moving
and clouds from my territory went into his. I brought a sofa and placed it in the middle, but the clouds kept floating
over it. I built a wall in the middle, but the sky started to flow through it. I dug a trench, and then it rained and
the sky made clouds over the trench. I tried very hard to cut...'
'I tried very hard to cut the sky in half, one for my lover and one for me, but the sky kept moving and the clouds from
his territory came into mine. I tried pushing it away, with both my hands, harder and harder but the sky kept moving
and clouds from my territory went into his. I brought a sofa and placed it in the middle, but the clouds kept floating
over it. I built a wall in the middle, but the sky started to flow through it. I dug a trench, and then it rained and
the sky made clouds over the trench. I tried very hard to cut...'
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'There is No Border Here' 2005-06 (Close up) |
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| Shilpa Gupta - 'There is No Border Here' 2005-06 (Close up) |
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