Bharti Kher's 'Target Queen' mural transforms Hayward Gallery with bindi motif

Bharti Kher has installed her mural 'Target Queen' on the exterior walls of London's Hayward Gallery, transforming the Brutalist building with a supersized bindi motif. The work, displayed from 12 September 2024, adapts her 2007 diptych of the same name, scaling it specifically for the architecture. Kher describes the bindi as both code and poetry, representing microscopic and macroscopic perspectives simultaneously. She explains that repetition is essential to reading the work, with each placement carrying intent. The artist first created a mural version of 'Target Queen' in 2012 at The Rockbund Museum in China. For the Hayward installation, she wanted to introduce feminine sensibility to the outdoor space, transforming the tiny dot into the building's third eye. Kher's practice frequently draws upon the bindi symbol, deeply rooted in South Asian women's traditions as a spiritual third eye. She works across sculpture, painting, and installation, often using real-life body casts to explore psychological truth. The artist currently has an exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park titled after alchemical practices. Kher finds inspiration in artists, poets, writers, musicians, nature, and animals. She views public art as important because public spaces reach diverse demographics who might not visit galleries. The installation is free to view, emphasizing accessibility. Hauser & Wirth represents the artist, and photographer Jo Underhill documented the installation.