The artist and the Minister both chose poetry to express their feelings at the inauguration of “Passage through light”, an exhibition of drawings, sculptures, installations, photography, film, and poems by German artist Rebecca Horn at the National Gallery of Modern Art here on Saturday.
The exhibition is part of the “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” initiative and is a joint effort of the Ministry of Culture, Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, and the gallery.
While Culture Minister Kumari Selja quoted William Blake, praised the artist and said the exhibition was another milestone in the special relationship shared between India and Germany, artist Rebecca Horn chose to read her own poem, “Jungle of Light” which explains the idea behind her newest installation with the same name.
Rebecca Horn is regarded as one of the most versatile and creative artists that Germany has at preset and showcased her first exhibition “Documenta” in 1972. The high point of her career up to now is marked by the 1994 retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum of New York, which was then shown at the New National Gallery in Berlin, the TATE Gallery in London and the Kunsthalle in Vienna.
The artist after an intense meeting with her spiritual leader Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi in Europe was inspired to create a special work for India. The “Jungle of Light” installation has been created using Indian materials like saris, clay, bamboo and mirrors.
The installation has a makeshift forest with spinning mirrors which is meant to serve as an arc of light between the past, present and future, by seeing one self in the turning mirrors.
Other installations include “Time goes by”, “In the light of India” and other contraptions like the hand-fan made of feathers which closes and opens by itself at regular intervals and another installation themed around cricket.
Films include “Cutting one's hair with two pairs of scissors simultaneously” which was made in the 1970s and depicts an emotional woman cutting her hair fiercely and without blinking even when the scissors come threateningly close to her eyes. Full-length feature films are also up on view.
The exhibition is on view up to May 20.
