Shilpa Gupta b. 1976
8min interaction loop
600 x 800 cm
Further images
Made against the background of the US led War on Terror campaign and the popular polarisation and consent that was generated, the work mimics the orders of patriarchy, the market and militarism. When the procedures of everyday life are repeated, an unconscious mathematical rhythm is brought about that structures space, time and, most pertinently, emotions. Writes Paul Sternberger, "The work sparks a controlled digital dialog between the viewer and seven moving images of the artist wearing various stereotypical uniforms and costumes made from camouflage cloth. Voyeuristic manipulation of sexualized types and the stylized militarism of camouflage as fashion merge into an elaborate exploration of cultural and individual identity in the hands of an active viewer. Gupta further complicates the viewer / artist interaction and role playing. The game-like point-and-click interface gives the viewer more of an illusion of control than actual control of the marching, squatting, shooting figures and barrage of scrolling textual demands. By relinquishing less power to the viewer than it might at first seem, the artist encourages viewers to reflect not simply upon the artist's identity and agency, but also on their own."
Exhibitions
SELECTED | 2012 | ‘Women In-Between: Asian Women Artists 1984-2012’, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka; Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum | 2011 | ‘Art & Stars & Cars’, Daimler Art Collection, Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, | 2008 | 2007 | ‘New Narratives: Contemporary Art from India’, Chicago Cultural Center. Curated by Betty Seid. Video Art curated by Johan Pijnappel | 2007 | ‘Fashion Accidentally’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei. Curated by Sean Hu | 2007 | ‘Solo Show’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai | ‘Solo Show’, Apeejay Media Gallery, New Delhi | 2006 | ‘Solo Show’, Bose Pacia Gallery, New York | 2006 | ‘Lille 3000’, Lille. Curated by Caroline Naphegyi | 2006 | ‘Contemporary Commonwealth’, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne. Curated by Mike Stubbs and Alessio Cavallaro | 2006 | ‘Photography, Video, Mixed Media III’, Daimler Chrysler Contemporary, Berlin | 2005 | ‘3rd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale’, Fukuoka Asian Art Musuem, Fukuoka City | 2004 | ‘Media City Seoul Biennale’, Curated by Johan Pijnappel, Liz Hughes, Hans D Christ and Yoon Jin-Sup