Shilpa Gupta's Flapboard Artwork in Chemnitz Addresses Pandemic and Borders
On August 15, 2020, Shilpa Gupta's motion flapboard installation, WEARECLOSERTHANYOUEVERIMAGINED, was unveiled at Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof in Germany as part of Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz's inaugural international public art initiative, Gegenwarten | Presences. This 35-minute artwork delves into themes of contagion, isolation, and digital surveillance, utilizing texts created both prior to and following the COVID-19 lockdown. Mumbai-based Gupta examines issues of borders and inclusion in her artistic endeavors. In an interview with ArtReview, she reflects on how India's lockdown has influenced her work and ongoing projects, including a survey exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp. The installation will be displayed until October, alongside her works in exhibitions in Turin and Maastricht.
Key facts
- WEARECLOSERTHANYOUEVERIMAGINED is a 35-minute motion flapboard artwork by Shilpa Gupta installed at Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof.
- The work was inaugurated on 15 August 2020 and commissioned by Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz for Gegenwarten | Presences.
- Gupta's artwork addresses themes of contagion, isolation, fake news, and digital surveillance, with text written pre- and post-lockdown.
- Gupta is based in Mumbai and her studio is closed due to India's lockdown, affecting her work on public commissions and institutional solos.
- She has a survey show planned at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp and is working on outdoor projects in Europe.
- Gupta's previous works include 100 hand drawn maps of my country (2008) and light installations like WheredoIendandyoubegin (2012).
- She cites influences from writers such as Saadat Hassan Manto, Munshi Premchand, and Salman Rushdie.
- Her work is featured in group exhibitions at Fondazione Merz in Turin and Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht through early 2021.
Entities
Artists
- Shilpa Gupta
- Saadat Hassan Manto
- Munshi Premchand
- Salman Rushdie
- Mikhail Bulgakov
- Anita Agnihotri
- Chinua Achebe
- Amitav Ghosh
- Jerry Pinto
Institutions
- Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz
- Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp
- Fondazione Merz
- Bonnefanten Museum
- ArtReview
- Bristol University
Locations
- Chemnitz
- Germany
- Mumbai
- India
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Turin
- Italy
- Maastricht
- Netherlands
- Wagah border
- Pakistan
- Lahore
- Gujarat
- Kashmir
- Bombay
- Carter Road
- Sweden
- Boston
- United States