The Bindi – A decorative forehead dot worn by Indian women, laden with meaning of social and religious principles and the point at which human consciousness affixes to the spiritual realm – and additionally a symbol synonymous to the creative career of artist, Bharti Kher. But what made her choose this as an emblem of her work and how has it evolved in form and meaning over time?

Six years into the new millennium, Bharti presented to the world ‘the skin speaks a language not its own’ depicting a life size sculpture of a dying elephant covered entirely in white snake bindis, she happened to purchase while walking through a New Deli market. The figure, which many attribute to be her breakthrough work, asks us to consider the skin as a palest of many layers of history, mythology, geography, and space – with the binidi being the vital component that raises the thinking in its onlooker.

A year later she would present her next evolution of the bindi in ‘an absence of assignable cause’ which was her deeply researched envision of a sperm whale’s heart, made from fiberglass – and you guessed it – decorated in bindis. In what is a spectacular feast for the eyes, the heart of the Blue Sperm Whale is the largest functioning heart amongst mammals and for Kher, an organ which ignites the question of why we love:

“We don’t know why we love; we don’t know why we have this thing called pain, we don’t know why we make relationships with other people and experience extreme joy or heartbreak.”

The bindi is the emblem which allows her to explore these questions. Cross culturally it is understood as a symbol representing the human understanding of something which is more paramount to our existence. It is the thing that adds poignancy to Kher’s work and allowed her to explore biopolitics in her 2013 piece ‘cell III’. Created using pink felt bindis mounted onto board, the piece mirrors what we would perceive to be bacteria under a microscope, as a prompt not to mistake the arts and sciences as being distinctly opposite in nature and an ask of us to analyse the importance of our individual existence.

Now, in her new commission, on the external walls of Hayward Gallery, she yet again transforms her chosen iconography, this time into a large scale, mesmerising concentric circle. The title ‘Target Queen’ takes inspiration from her 2007 diptych of the same name. It’s bold presence amongst the brutalist walls hangs as a reminder to those who pass by, of a goddess divinity within them, separate to religious doctrine of faith.

Quizzed on whether she believed the UK to be lacking in a national sense of spirituality she simply stated:

“There is no prize for who is closer to the spirit…I don’t hear the sea telling anyone how to move in its waters.”

The instillation is an injection of vibrant femininity on the riverside of London’s Southbank and is a much-needed motif for the country’s capital and its quotidian life. Its colours can be seen suspended from the Southbank Centre and is a must see, as a place to stop and ponder life and they ways in which it can manifest.

Review by Emma Carys

Featured Image – Bharti Kher – Target Queen, Hayward Gallery, 2024. Photo credit – Jo Underhill. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Target Queen is generously supported by the Hayward Gallery Commissioning Committee, Kate and Ajay Agarwal and Hauser & Wirth. Bharti Kher: Target Queen | Southbank Centre

On Thursday 12 September, the Hayward Gallery unveiled Target Queen, a mesmerising and colourful large-scale new commission by British-Indian artist Bharti Kher. Marking the first time that Kher’s ambitious outdoor work has been presented by a London institution, Target Queen is positioned across the Hayward Gallery’s eastern and southern facades, celebrating and playfully interacting with the iconic architecture and cultural playground of the Southbank Centre.

Target Queen launches alongside Bharti Kher’s solo exhibition Alchemies at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (on until Sunday 27 April 2025). Bharti Kher: Alchemies | Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Read our latest at Hayward Gallery Review: ‘Haegue Yang: Leap Year’ – A Playful Exploration of Light and Sound, at Hayward Gallery until 5 January 2025 – Abundant Art

Read our latest in exhibitions Review: Anastasia Samoylova’s ‘Adaptation’ – A visual journey examining the distinction between simulated ideologies and reality – at Saatchi Gallery until 20 Jan 2025 – Abundant Art

Sometimes, one’s perception of reality can be expanded on through limiting perspective.  Previously invisible factors and nuances are revealed through the omission of others, and the holistic perspective is deeper understood. In an increasingly overstimulating world overrun with simulation, the value of this process is obvious. Photography removes the passage of time from our perception, as well as the parallax that complicates reality through introducing multiple spatial perspectives. It gives us the power to control instantaneous perspective and force reflection on it. In the first major exhibition survey of her work, Anastasia Samoylova’s ‘Adaptation’ at Saatchi Gallery utilizes the aforementioned qualities of photography to examine multiple themes including climate change, the impacts of capitalism, and the societal qualities revealed by public space and its occupants.

Samoylova’s thorough understanding of her chosen medium is reflected very well in the show, with works evolving from explorative mixed media pieces and conceptual set photography, to more traditional street and aerial photography as the show progresses. Curated by Taous Dahmani, the survey effectively highlights the consistencies in what Samoylova’s perceptive eye captures, cultivating an overall impression of the photographer that leaves the viewer confident in recognising her work.

The exhibit opens with a selection of images that bring awareness to Samoylova’s creative process and perceived uses of photography. Accompanied by a time-lapse of the construction of Landscape Sublime, room one highlights the importance of understanding Samoylova’s process to contextualize the subsequent works within her unique approach.  In Landscape Sublime Samoylova explores nature’s idealized portrayal through constructed, ideological landscapes that border on the absurd. By using open-source images and exaggerated reflections, she draws attention to photography’s duality as a tool for both representation and distortion. By photographing real,  physical compositions of images, she suggests a world progressively mediated by imagery—a layered hyperreality that questions our expectations of nature and wilderness. These expectations are challenged as the show progresses.

In a series of images from Breakfasts, food items are composed atop open photography books, featuring the work of notable inspirations to Samoylova, such as Walker Evans and Barbara Kasten. Their influence can be seen later on in the exhibit and the series is a great visualization of how passion bleeds into an artist’s everyday life. The far wall is mounted with ‘Biscane Bay’ (2018)  nd ‘Six Real Matterhorns’ (2015). Without explaining them in detail, as the wall text does brilliantly, these two works consolidate the most important elements of Samoylova’s work – “composition and illusion”. I found the minimal display here to be quite assertive and reassuring of Taus Dahmani’s highly informed curation.

Through an opening that leads to room two, a wall-sized, underwater image of a swimming alligator’s lower body can be seen. This effectively draws the viewer in to investigate what theme this image could relate to, and with it crowding my peripheral, I found myself impatient to move on from room one. Made across the states of Florida, Georgia and Louisiana,  Floodzone is a series that exposes infrastructure that is insufficient for dealing with the dominant natural forces of these southern states. Aerial photography of flooded residential areas brings a new perspective to nature’s power, suggesting the perspective humans lack to adapt to natural forces. Documenting destruction like this alludes to a theme of powerlessness felt by humanity, not only to nature but to our own self destruction. ‘Concrete erosion’ encapsulates the title of the show for me, with its focus on the ability of nature to adapt to human impact, and the downfalls of design fuelled by simple functionality and disregard for sustainability.

Room three presents Floridas, thematically synergising with Floodzone, with a shifted focus to the weathered Floridian urban landscape that conceals dysfunction through its overshadowing facade. There is a comical aspect to the documented destruction of such landscapes and expendable consumerist items, perhaps because of the pride and ignorance exuded by such excessive, kitschy design. ‘Blue Velvet Chair’ (2020) shows a chair, surrounded by algae, floating in floodwaters that reflect a bright pink building facade in the background. Flashy storefronts, idealized construction billboards, and capturing of printed images on the street suggesting simulated reality make up the rest of the series. The investigation into contradictions and concealment of truth reflected in Samoylova’s vision speaks to her previously constructed metaphors for such themes in Landscape Sublime. ‘Condo reflection at king tide, Hollywood’ (2019) stands out as perhaps my favorite image of the show. It shows a wind rippled puddle reflecting a Floridian art deco condo against an overcast sky, with the forms of the building strangely aligning with the waterlogged grass surrounding the puddle. The wind that distorts the surface of the water lends that distortion to the building through reflection. Through crystallization of a very dynamic moment like a building reflecting off water ripples, the viewer is given the opportunity to reflect on a moment that is usually very fleeting in our perpetual presentism. The image is a great example of how Samoylova limits perspective to create a new narrative about a subject, in this case the contrasts and similarities of man and nature.

The final room consists of the most conceptually dense and widely relatable work in the show. As the curatorial text reads, the series is an investigation of “polluting capitalist visual culture” inspired by the 1967 French film ‘Playtime’ by Jaques Tati. The lack of diversity in image aesthetics, despite being shot internationally over seventeen different locations, alludes to the globalization of visual culture worldwide and the late stage evolution of consumer interests into culture. Samoylova’s continued use of reflections throughout the series, suggests the dissonance present constantly in the saturation of images on the streets and in our minds. ‘Peeling posters, los angeles’(2022)  literally reflects failed attempts at perfection, and deterioration of illusion onset by environmental impact. ‘Printed building cover, Moscow’ (2021) is a depiction of illusory progress. Showing decorative covering of scaffolding contrasting with a man walking into the building, it captures the prideful presentation of an idealistic future project, exposing society’s fixation with perceived rather than proven progress. In ‘Beauty salon, Milan’ (2022), an elderly woman with beautifying curling rollers drags a cigarette while staring into the distance, unknowingly stepping in front of a huge billboard of a supermodel. I found this image particularly loaded because it reflects ways of coping with the desires constructed for us by the hyperreal, whether or not we are aware of our free will to resist them.  There is immense depth in this series, and overall it shows Samoylova’s patience in waiting for  narratives, relevant to her intentions as a photographer, to appear in her environment as she peers through her analytical lens. It also contains some of the best compositions in the show extracted from the minimal geometric design of modern cities.

In conclusion, Samoylova’s progression from controlled, mixed-media compositions to more spontaneous, observational photography mirrors the exhibition’s thematic evolution, from constructed critiques of idealization to raw portrayals of reality that reflect that idealization. The exhibition challenges us to reflect on how the images around us influence our understanding, both of nature and of ourselves, in a world where reality is increasingly shaped by simulation. It should also be said that regardless of the conceptual curation and themes present in the show, all the displayed images are visual spectacles in their own right through their vivid colours and masterful composition. Any kind of image maker would very likely be inspired in their own way after a visit.

A ticket to ‘Adaptation’ includes entry to two other exhibitions at Saatchi, running concurrently. ‘As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic’ is a selection of works from the Wedge collection, curated by Elliot Ramsey. It provides an informative depiction of African diasporic culture and Black life, categorizing work into themes of community, identity and power, accompanied by detailed descriptions and curatorial texts. Aneesa Dawoojee’s ‘March of The Hummingbirds’ explores UK migrant history, with a focus on the Caribbean and Mauritius, through portrait photography and installation. The show encourages trust and understanding amongst cultures to foster community spirit and shed light on lesser known stories of immigration.

Review by Chris Wieland

Featured Image-Cities – Beauty Salon – Milan 2022

For information and tickets visit www.saatchigallery.com

Read Chris Wieland’s latest Review: Critical Edge Collective’s ‘From the Ground Up’: Investigating knowledge in the post truth era through collaborative art – at Lewisham Arthouse, October 2024 – Abundant Art

Each year, classical music enthusiasts eagerly await the Darbar Festival in London. We  look forward to those profound moments  of emotional and sensory experience that can only come  from an ancient and highly evolved musical heritage – that of Indian classical music. In this age of streaming music, Darbar provides the rare opportunity of live performances of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music  to a London audience. It offers that rare ephemeral moment where the musician and the audience feel connected with each other and with the infinite.

In keeping with Darbar’s track record of showcasing the latest classical music talent, alongside maestros, we were treated to an evening of glorious instrumental music by two prodigious young talents. The first part of the evening saw a sarod recital of Aman Ali Bangash who was accompanied by the young Anubrata Chatterjee on tabla. The second part saw a performance of legendary Carnatic violinist Dr. L. Subramanian who was joined by his extremely talented son Ambi Subramaniam.

No Carnatic instrumental recital is complete without the resonating rhythm of the Mridangam, one of the most ancient percussion instruments of Indian music and the Ghatam or the clay pot which provides a tonal contrast to the Mridangam. The Subramaniam father and son duo were accompanied by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee on tabla, VV Ramanamurthy on mridangam and Giridhar Udupa on ghatam.

Aman Ali Bangash opened the evening with a rendition of ‘Raga Shri’. It’s an early evening ‘raga’ which has been widely used by Sikh Gurus in their compositions. It’s also celebrated in a lithograph of Wajid Ali Shah- the Nawab of Oudh who is famous for his love of Indian classical arts. The raga is said to create a devotional mood with a power to call down spirits. Bangash interpreted the raga beautifully, swiftly moving from an introspective’ alaap’ to a ‘japtal’. Next he presented’ Raga Desh’, a beautiful and romantic night raga before finishing with ‘Raga Sindhukosh’ based on one of his fathers compositions.

Dr. L Subramaniam is a renowned violinist of the Carnatic branch of Indian classical music. In the second half of the evening he started with a rendition of ‘Raga Hansadhwani’. Composed in the Pentatonic scale it’s one of the iconic ragas of the Carnatic school. The percussion interludes in between the violin solos and duets radiated high energy. The tabla master was joined by the highly skilled mridangam and ghatam players in a showcase of different’ talas’- the metrical cycles of the rhythmic system. The accompanying ensemble presented live improvisations keeping up with the violin virtuosos.

Darbar Festival presents evocative concerts where performers and listeners both delight in sharing high emotional and sensory experiences. Long after the show the music echoes in the mind.

Review by Koushik Chatterjee

Featured Image: Dr. L Subramaniam and Ambi Subramaniam in performance

Darbar Festival 2024 ran from 24th to 27th October, presenting the finest international and UK Indian classical musicians. Passionate about programming female artists, and offering Britain’s finest musicians, composers and singers an international platform, Darbar Festival continues to be the best place to discover the ever-evolving melody and rhythm of Indian classical music.

Programme highlights included:

Dr L Subramaniam and Ambi Subramaniam + Amaan Ali Bangash.

Pandit Kushal Das + Ashwini Bhide Deshpande. A special concert celebrating midnight ragas through India’s iconic sitar, followed by the Jaipur-Atruli style of khayal (imagination) vocal.

Aruna Sairam. An authentic south Indian concert known in India as a kacheri, presented with a vast repertoire of raga and spiritual lyrics.

Pandit Anindo and Anubrata Chatterjee. Tabla duet by India’s finest tabla legend with his son.

Read Abundant Art’s latest Review: ‘Whistling As The Night Calls’: Martin O’Brien and zack mennell’s provocative exploration of the spectral space between life and death- at Deptford VSSL Studio until 1st December – Abundant Art

Hayward Gallery’s latest exhibition Haegue Yang: Leap Year is both familiar and strangely unsettling. You enter via a curtain of bells, creating a melodic clanging that reverberates through the gallery. It’s the first clue that this exhibition isn’t just about viewing art; it’s about immersing yourself in it, becoming a participant rather than a mere observer.

The initial gallery sets the tone. Your eyes are immediately drawn to Non-Indépliables, nues (2010/2020), a series of drying racks standing sentinel in the centre. Strings of lights weave through the metal frames, casting an ethereal glow. A projected image flickers on the wall behind them, its content veiled in a wash of light. Two leather armchairs beckon you to sit and contemplate, while a long string of bells hanging from the ceiling occasionally chimes with a gentle sway. Every few minutes, a clicking sound pierces the quiet hum, emanating from the old slide projector at the back. The invigilator, seemingly part of the performance itself, rises intermittently, shaking the bells and adding their soft melody to the soundscape.

Throughout Leap Year, Yang masterfully blends the familiar with the unexpected – a sense of playfulness present in the way she utilises ordinary materials. Yet, beneath the surface lies a subtle tension, a suggestion of something deeper that invites you to contemplate the spaces between light and shadow, order and chaos, the seen and unseen. Yang creates immersive experiences, drawing on inspiration from diverse histories, including East Asian tradition and folklore. By utilising the domestic, she seeks to highlight issues of labour, migration and displacement.

The final gallery sees a stand-out multisensory installation. The viewer is invited to sit at the back of the space, as experimental instrumental music pours from speakers on both sides. A spotlight darts across the room, momentarily revealing a forest of Venetian blinds hanging suspended above. On occasion, the light filters behind the blinds like the morning sun. However, as the music intensifies, the spotlight becomes the lead character. The tones evoke a sense of looming danger, creating an atmosphere of suspense that leaves you unsure whether you’re witnessing a performance or a prelude to something more sinister.

Haegue Yang: Leap Year is an exhibition that demands your full attention, a multi-sensory exploration that invites you to engage with the world around you in a new light. This boundary-pushing exhibition is not to be missed.

Review by Amy Melling 

Haegue Yang: Leap Year is showing at Hayward Gallery until 5 January 2025. Find out more information and purchase tickets here.

Featured Image: Installation view of Haegue Yang: Leap Year, 2024. Star-Crossed Rendezvous after Yun, 2024. Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery.

Read Amy’s latest Review: Fragile Beauty – Timeless Moments from the Sir Elton John & David Furnish Photography Collection at V&A

‘Martin O’Brien and zack mennell reunite for their exhibition, Whistling As The Night Calls, hosted by Future Ritual at the VSSL Studio in Deptford. This marks a significant evolution in their impressive decade of collaboration, as it’s their first wholly photographic work. It revisits moments from O’Brien’s past live performances and captures them anew through still images with mennell behind the lens.

Martin O’Brien, a pivotal figure in disability art who lives with cystic fibrosis, continues his exploration of mortality and existence, identifying as a “zombie” who defies his life expectancy. The images, though a shift from live performance, resonate with his enduring themes of life, death, and the spectral space in between. In one corner of the gallery, he is seen cradled in a church, wearing only a leather head harness; nearby, another image shows him in a field, dressed in black, reaching and crying out through another harness which forceps his mouth open, toward an unseen force. Together, they capture a haunting and unsettling duality evoked through his vulnerability and resilience.

In this series, the chosen locations become essential characters, more than mere backdrops to O’Brien’s performances. Set against the haunting brutalist ruin of the former seminary at Cardross in Scotland and the desolate, shingled shores of Dungeness, O’Brien embodies a figure between life and death. The artists aptly likened the experience as “performing for ghosts.” This sensitivity to sit-specific work has roots in mennell’s earlier work, such as Tide Changers: (para)site, which explored the Deptford Foreshore. In that piece mennell highlighted the river’s encroachment on their body as a metaphor for parasitism, allowing the setting itself to embody the physical and psychological impact of the environment on the self.

For me, the standout image captures O’Brien lying on a pebble beach, his form blurred by streaks of red light that bleed across his neck and chest, emphasising his body’s vulnerability. This effect, combined with the stark stillness of the surrounding scene, invokes a spectral quality, as if something beyond the living and visible world permeates the frame and into the gallery. This effect is taken further within the skeletal frame of an abandoned building, where O’Brien sprawls his body in a series of nine shots in different locations within the photographs. With each shot, viewers are drawn to new vantage points within the expansive space, creating an unsettling sense that something remains hidden, just beyond reach. mennell’s choice to shoot on analogue film—consistent with their previous exhibitions—imbues O’Brien’s figure with a haunting vacancy with its stark lighting contrast, as if his body itself resists being fully grasped by our eyes.

In his past productions Martin O’Brien has reflected on ‘art as a place – maybe the only place – where you can regain agency over your body.’[1] Together, the artists create a series that lingers in the mind, inviting audiences to confront mortality, to share in this space between life and death, and to connect with what lies beyond the visible.

Review by Olivia Kiakides

Reference: [1] The Guardian- ‘‘I was born with death as my sidekick’: the ‘zombie’ with cystic fibrosis who turns pain into art’ (2023)

Featured Image credit: zack mennell

VSSL Studio, Deptford, SE8 4AL
Now running, until 1 December 2024
Open Thursdays by appointment & Fridays to Sundays, 12pm-6pm

Read our latest exhibition Review: Critical Edge Collective’s ‘From the Ground Up’: Investigating knowledge in the post truth era through collaborative art – at Lewisham Arthouse, October 2024 – Abundant Art

What three words could be used to describe Stories – The Tap Dance Sensation? Smoke, silhouettes and suspense come to mind, with the lasting impression of the show being one of the many dramatic, back-lit moments where the 10-piece cast, identical grey coats flying with each move, are silhouetted dramatically against a smoky haze. With a continuous sequence of perfectly executed dance numbers (accompanied by, one must admit, slightly less sensational music), the dance itself rises above the plot and music, sometimes quite literally, in this bold new show.

Stories is structured around a perpetual cat-and-mouse chase between Icarus, the successful yet vulnerable newbie in showbizz, and his controlling director, who surreptitiously begins to appear off-set in Icarus’s personal life too, stalking street corners and casinos in an attempt to hunt him down and control his every move.

The show begins with a number whose vocals repetitively intone: ‘Each day we get the job, we get the job done,’ to a backdrop of piles of papers in an editorial office. From this modest beginning and a relentless 9-5 existence, Icarus suitably rises to reach his dream of becoming a successful actor. But, in a tragic turn of events, his fame seemingly turns against him, and he loses almost everything, all whilst in debt to the very man who has turned his life upside down.

The plot is dramatic – it’s not subtle or nuanced, but neither is it meant to be, as it pays homage to musical theatre and relies unashamedly on melodrama, essentially functioning as a framework for the dance and emotions to shine through, as some of its confusing details are lost on the audience. Despite the slightly distracting lyrics of the music, expressed in the incongruously slow form of spoken word, the dance is contagiously high in energy and the cast seem to be brim with endless enthusiasm.

In some of the sequences, more traditional moments of tap-dancing pay tribute to the historical precedents of the genre, with the traditionally recognizable toe-tapping rhythm providing the pace for the looming drama to unfold. Predominantly, however, the show explores tap alongside urban jazz and synthesises dance genres, spoken word and percussion to shake up the audience’s expectations and assumptions about tap dance. Romain Rachline Borgeaud, the writer, composer, director, choreographer and producer of the show (clearly adept at wearing multiple creative hats) has described his process as follows, explaining that everything starts with the story:

“Writing a scenario, a piece of music or movement requires me to be in very different states of mind, but when I work I always see creation as a whole. When I write music, I think about movement and when I get into the dance studio, I often make immediate changes on the score.”

Romain began life as a tap-dancer as a kid after falling in love with Gene Kelly’s style. After love affairs with Jazz and ballet, the latter of which he considered making his career, Romain says that:

“Life led me back to musical theatre and tap dance.”

Testing tap’s capacity for expressing heavier emotions was part of Romain’s mission for the show, with Stories formulated with the intention, Romain says:

“Of bringing tap dance to a more modern, heavy place.’ Romain continues: ‘Tap dance is often used as a light, happy way to dance, but I think it also makes a lot of sense when it tells extreme, dark emotions, anger and despair.”

Romain set up the RB Dance Company in 2018 to fill a gap in the dance scene in France and give contemporary tap a new platform. Explaining that he intended to bridge generations and translate tap into a contemporary language, he says that:

“It was important for me to pay tribute to traditional musical theatre, but on the other hand, I want to bring that tradition to younger generations in a way that makes sense to them. One of my goals is to get kids to realize that tap dance is great and that it does not belong to the past. This allows generations to come together and appreciate the show from very different perspectives.”

Written by Lucy Evans 

Stories: The Tap Dance Sensation is at Peacock Theatre from 30^th October until 2^nd November 2024.

Featured Image: ©Aline Gérard

Tickets and information: Stories – The Tap Dance Sensation – Peacock Theatre

Read our latest Review: Critical Edge Collective’s ‘From the Ground Up’: Investigating knowledge in the post truth era through collaborative art – at Lewisham Arthouse, October 2024 – Abundant Art

The breakdown of information systems in today’s world has created an abstract and hazy reality. The daily struggle of filtering a relentless cascade of mostly irrelevant content has overwhelmed the brain’s ability to critically evaluate or categorise truth effectively. This once intentional, conscious process has become automated, leading to passive individual consumption, perpetuated by excitement of novel information overriding the more important analysis and categorisation of such information. Even then, our individual perspectives are limited through personalised algorithms that represent only a tiny fraction of our collective reality. These algorithms are already driven by capitalistic motives that bolster individualism and selling idealised personal experience, distracting from systemic issues and sustaining the status quo through curated, shallow engagement with information. What can one do to better equip themselves to survive in a hyperreality with such an agenda? Engagement with art reminds us that truth is not static, inviting us to adopt alternative perspectives, and revealing that individual truth and knowledge are parts of a larger, diverse tapestry that makes up our collective understanding of the world.

The former library of Lewisham Arthouse provides the setting of Critical Edge Collective’s latest investigation into how collaborative art can achieve the aforementioned. “From The Ground Up” is a group exhibition, whose curatorial statement urges the “re-evaluation of established knowledge systems” and “prioritises trust, inquiry, and collaboration” in hopes of subverting such knowledge systems and creating a “metaphorical library”. These intentions correspond well to the building’s history as a place for constructing ones own perspective through both well established and hidden knowledge, while evolving the more restrained nature of words in a library into multifaceted art that is open to a broader range of interpretations. The show features works by nine artists from the collective – Nele Bergmans, Matty Emery, Jane Hughes, S. R. Latham, Te Palandian, Nasus Y Ram, Joy Stokes, Eleanor Street, and Carmen Van Huisstede. The works are created in response to the exhibited “research boxes”, made by the same artists and some additional collective members.

The resulting experience is incredibly dense and personalised, achieved through clever curation. The research boxes are placed on an alter-like platform in the centre of the room, accompanied by detailed descriptions of their contents as well as some context about the artist who made them.

Viewers are encouraged to look through the boxes and read the thoughtful descriptions of each one in order to find connections to the final works, and get an overall impression of the show’s collaborative process. As a result the show manages to incorporate each work into the overarching concept by way of its process if not by its content.

“From the Ground Up” is in congruence with the ethos of the collective’s previous two shows that focussed on a search for new communication techniques in hopes of subverting mainstream narratives. Notably, their show at Copeland Gallery in Peckham, “And you would have to believe it”, which highlighted how ambiguous art can make us more open to nuance, questioning, and critical thinking in the face of these narratives. Both the research boxes and polished works in “From the Ground Up” show each artists ability to employ this same openness in their creative research, investigating their chosen interests by bringing lesser known information to the surface, and nurturing new understanding through how that information is creatively processed.

Matthew Emery’s critique of modern capitalism and its manipulation of the working class is embodied in his research box, constructed from torn-down billboard paper that mirrors the cycle of misinformation and pacifying advertisements used to distract the public from capitalism’s inherent flaws. Inside the box are printed YouTube links to interviews with influential thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Franco Berardi, alongside works by artist Peter Kennard, who explores the tactics used by the UK and USA to maintain global dominance. Matty’s research box, as well as his wider body of work, advocates for personal inquiry into the failures of western capitalism as a means to counter the division and competition imposed on the working class when demands for change are left unheard by elite powers. The breakdown of information systems that inspired the initiative for the show was caused most directly by western capitalism, so the themes in Matty’s work that inspire action against it highlight the solution the show provides for these breakdowns in a reciprocal way.

Exploring the meaning of materiality, Nele Bergman’s research box includes glass and stone displayed in a microcosm that relates to her larger installations and sculptures. The beautifully arranged organic materials in much of Nele’s work, together resemble the interactions of truths, falsehoods, and missing information in knowledge systems. These materials interact and the contexts of each material, which act as metaphors, change depending on interpretation. Nele’s piece for the show, “Moab, Utah and Jordan” places uranium glass, loaded with metaphors that relate to destruction, in the centre of fragmented stained glass, mounted on a piece of plywood and covered with Perspex. The piece is undoubtedly inspired by Te Palandjian’s research box, full of physical geological samples from her trips to Moab, Utah, along with other desertscapes of Spain and Jordan. As explained in the caption for “Moab, Utah and Jordan”, uranium deposits were found in Moab, Utah, by the US in 1940. With uranium glass being a combination of a potentially destructive element and a common material such as sand, Nele’s arrangement provokes thought about how beautiful landscapes can be exploited by those with power and used for destructive acts. However, with uranium also holding potential for renewable energy and medical applications amongst other positive attributes, Nele’s piece could also reflect the value in exploring natural landscapes for resources undeniably helpful to humanity. Of course, there are many materials that possess both negative and positive contexts, and this ambiguity is a reminder that any perspective and knowledge gained from an artwork is totally dependent on the audiences willingness to integrate their own into the viewing experience.

Another notable work, Eleanor Street’s “tl;dr”, reflects on the distortion of information by consequence of the illusory freedom in digital publication. By presenting dynamic digital material through static forms, Eleanor highlights these increasingly obvious distortions which stem from the same personal and corporate agendas embedded in established knowledge systems. “tl;dr” also suggests how a fragmented media landscape infiltrates these knowledge systems by re-examining the past through a present lens that prioritises individual perspective, uncovering previously ignored negative experiences tied to the construction and maintenance of these systems. Despite this positive effect, the media landscape remains plagued by self-interest, leaving apparent societal and personal truths more convoluted than ever.

“From the Ground Up” collectively gives hope for how our increasingly personalised interactions with information can foster new ways of understanding if collaboration and inquiry are prioritised over self interest and manipulation for personal gain. While it would be impractical to explain the work and research of every artist involved in this show, it is clear that every member of the Collective seems to be aligned with this priority, and committed to using multivalent, individually expressive art that makes people constantly re-evaluate their perspective in today’s overstimulating world. Looking forward, it will be exciting to see how the collective’s future projects evolve.

Review by Chris Wieland

Featured Image: Installation image of ‘research boxes’ placed on an alter-like platform, with content description connected to the final works and the artists’ collaborative process.

For more information please visit Critical Edge Collective

Read our latest review here Review: ‘Waves’ of Displacement: Huang Po-Chih’s evocative exploration of labour and identity, at Hayward Gallery until 5 January – Abundant Art

Taiwanese artist Huang Po-Chih’s first solo exhibition at The Hayward Gallery, Waves, delivers a compelling exploration of globalised trade. Rooted in his mother’s experience as a garment labourer in Taoyuan, his multidisciplinary work powerfully draws together individual narratives with broader experiences of workers across China, Hong Kong and South Korea. By giving voice to systematically marginalised communities, his oeuvre productively dissects the complexities of the Southeast Asian textile industry, exposing the exploitation of labourers inherent in capitalist-driven trading structures.

As you enter the space, a striking series of black and white photographs of Huang’s mother, Ho, and Mrs. Kim, a textile worker from Seoul, confronts you. With their faces obscured, these portraits simultaneously capture anonymity and intimacy, embodying the experiences of countless workers through their concealed identity. Yet, amidst this ubiquity, a raw, familiar connection emerges, illuminated by gentle folds of skin, stray locks of hair, and age spots on weathered hands. Huang’s camera captures details that speak to the individual narratives of Huang’s mother and Mrs. Kim, underling their stories within the collective experience of exploitation.

These images also exude informality and playfulness as the women contort their bodies into elephant-like poses. At first glance, these gestures appear casual, but a sinister political undertone swiftly emerges. The elephant, a symbol of economic growth in Taiwan, starkly reminds us that such prosperity is built on the exploitation of textile workers. Huang masterfully strikes a balance between playful expression and pertinent, yet not overstated, political commentary. This is evident when Mrs. Kim comically entangles herself in wide-leg trousers to mimic an elephant. The result is an effective interplay of equanimity and critique, where Huang challenges unethical capitalist practices in the fast fashion industry without overwhelming the viewer with didacticism.

Huang’s latest video piece, Seven People Crossing the Sea – Racing Pigeon (2024), dramatises Ho Ying’s harrowing journey as an undocumented migrant from mainland China to Hong Kong, culminating in his labour at the Pang Jai textile market. The piece opens with seven performers shrouded in layers of clothing, cutting each other free as if shedding skin. This repetitive task, coupled with their aimless movements, evokes an existential despair, portraying them as automatons trapped in an endless cycle of labour. The silence, punctuated only by rustling of fabric and sharp snips of scissors, is both unsettling and suffocating. The film’s shifting focus heightens its dreamlike quality, suggesting a relentless struggle with their never-ending work.

A powerful transition features a performer representing Ho Ying, dragging an enormous sheet stitched from blue and white garments. His body contorts under its weight, a poignant metaphor for the immense pressures he faces as a migrant. The fabric, soaked and rippling with water, mirrors his perilous sea journey to Hong Kong and reminds the viewer of the exhibition’s title, Waves. In a striking moment, Ho Ying is submerged, eyes closed, surrounded by sodden garments—a harrowing image that encapsulates both the dangers of migration and the exploitation awaiting him in the textile industry.

Despite the challenging subject matter, Huang infuses the exhibition with humanity, inviting viewers to connect with the personal narrative presented. By amplifying the voices of workers often erased in the discourse, his sensitive pieces portray them not as victims but as autonomous individuals with agency, political awareness, and distinct identities. The show is accessible, employing a subtle approach that refrains from direct confrontation with global fast fashion brands. Instead, it challenges the viewer to confront their complicity in the inequalities and exploitative labour practices prevalent in the textile industry of the Global South.

Huang Po-Chih’s exhibition Waves is free and on at The Hayward Gallery 15th Oct 2024 – 5th January 2025

Featured Image: Installation View of Huang Po Chih’s Waves-2024. Photo: Mark Blower, Courtesy: the artist and Hayward Gallery

Review by Florence Marling

Read our latest in exhibitions here Review: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Great Sikh Kingdom at the Wallace Collection, until 20 October – Abundant Art

The Wallace collection’s current major exhibition, ‘Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King’ is lovingly curated. It covers the rise to power of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then the decline of his Sikh kingdom after his demise in 1839.

The prelude to the rise of Sikh power is covered through the story of the great saint “Guru Nanak” of the Bhakti movement to the inspirational last Guru Govind Singh who creates “hawks out of sparrows”. The last Guru creates a casteless martial cult of Khalsa out of ordinary peasant folk in a region ravaged by invasions. Bands of armed fearless Sikh soldiers organised in Misls roam the north western Indian countryside harassing Mughals as well as the marauding Afghan militias. With time the Sikh confederacies become fractious with internecine warfare weakening them. This provides the background of the rise of Ranjit Singh- A courageous solider, inspirational commander and an even more astute diplomat and leader of men.

Ranjit Singh unites the various Sikh clans, refuses to be drawn into the Anglo- Maratha wars and creates a modern army. He hires European officers discharged or deserting from the French army after Napoleon’s defeat and organises his Misls on European lines with European firepower. He is blessed to have tactical geniuses like the formidable General Hari Singh Nalwa and fearless commanders like Phula Singh Nihang. His army conquers Kashmir and pushes back the Afghans beyond the Khyber and expands the Sikh kingdom to cover pretty much most of present day Pakistan, Indian Kashmir, and Indian Punjab. It was a remarkable feat for a man in an uncertain war ravaged time especially with great powers like the British, the Marathas and the Afghans around him.

The exhibition curated by Davinder Toor manages to transport the visitors to that space and time that gave rise to this magnificent Sikh kingdom. The prelude is covered through miniature paintings. There are three miniatures tracing the arc of history from Guru Arjan  who was martyred to Guru Govind Singh, a trajectory of Sikhism from a peaceful reformation movement to a militant tradition that would one  day defy  and defeat great powers. The story of Ranjit Singh’s rise is also shown through miniatures. The most telling is the one showing the meeting between fugitive Maratha leader Jaswant Rao Holkar and the Maharaja in 1804. Assessing his strengths and strategic objectives carefully, he refuses to be drawn into the Maratha British conflict.

The exhibition then moves on to showcase several remarkable artefacts. Among them the Maharaja’s immaculately carved sword forged from Damascus steel – a testament to India’s metallurgical heritage, his gold plated throne, matchlock rifles and his beautifully illustrated cuirass. Of these,  the cuirass with its elegant calligraphy of quotations from the Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Nanak’s portrait in the middle is the most striking. Another unique exhibit is the war shield of the legendary General Hari Singh Nalwa known in military history for his campaigns against the Afghans and in Kashmir.

The original document and the receipt showing the acquisition of the Kohinoor diamond by Lord Dalhousie from the infant prince  Duleep Singh evokes a variety of emotions.

The war displays included the turban helmet made with watered steel, iron, gold and brass. The helmet has a peak in the middle to accommodate the Sikh top knot. Another menacing war item on display is the dark blue Turban fortress or the turban worn by the Nihang ( crocodile) order of the Sikhs. It features a totemic steel centrepiece called ‘Gajgah’ (grappler of elephants’) and razor-sharp steel daggers, quoits and tiger-claws.

The dark blue cloth spouting from the peak represent the ‘Farla’ (Khalsa’s battle standard), signifying the wearer’s rank as that of an ‘Akali’ (Immortal).

Apart from the gold plated throne and the possession of the Kohinoor the exhibition has other items like emerald jewelled girdle of the Maharaja. Some jewellery of the Rani Jind Kaur and a sketched portrait are on display. These point to fabulous riches accumulated by the Sikh kingdom at the peak of their powers.

The exhibition brings to life a shining era of Sikh History – of a people forged in the crucible of Indian history who rose to seize power and change its course. They were instrumental in the fight back of Indian culture against complete annihilation under the onslaught of repeated land invasions.

For me, the exhibition also rekindles childhood memories of growing up in India and watching the Guru Nanak birthday processions where Sikhs in traditional attire with unsheathed swords marched across the town chanting “Sat Sri Akal”. Kudos to Wallace collection and Davinder Noor for their authentic retelling of an important chapter of Indian history.

Featured Image: Alfred Dedreux, Randjiit Sing Baadour, Roi de Lahore’ (Ranjit Singh the Brave, King of Lahore) commissioned by General Ventura, Paris, c. 1837, © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre)- Stéphane Maréchalle

Review by Koushik Chatterjee

Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King, 10 April – 20 October 2024

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Read Koushik’s latest review Qawwali Flamenco: a deeply emotional experience-Barbican (abundantart.net)

Turn the corner to Fragile Beauty and a curved, soft pink wall greets you. A single, striking black and white image hangs prominently, its starkness a counterpoint. The image is Richard Avedon’s Ronald Fischer, Bee Keeper, 1981, depicting a shirtless man, face-on, covered in a swarm of bees. This portal is your first clue that Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection is more than an exhibition; it’s an invitation into a personal space, existing somewhere between pain and pleasure.

Within the galleries, the frames holding the 300 strong photography collection are a charming mismatch, ranging from ornate gold to simple black wood. This visual disharmony reinforces the idea that this isn’t just a curated collection – it’s a window into Elton John and David Furnish’s personal taste, a glimpse of the art they admire and choose to surround themselves with in their home.

Moving through the exhibition, each room offers a unique thematic exploration of photography. One moment you’re immersed in the world of ‘Fashion’, surrounded by iconic shots of models adorned in haute couture. Next, you’re face-to-face with legendary figures in ‘Stars of Screen, Stage and Studio’, captivated by portraits of Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. 

The exhibition’s true strength lies in its unexpected juxtapositions between spaces. From the sensuality of ‘Desire’ to the grit of ‘Reportage’, Fragile Beauty showcases the vast possibilities of photography. In ‘Reportage’ photojournalism takes centre stage, documenting pivotal moments in history. Viewers are confronted by the chilling image of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination and Ai Weiwei’s impactful photographs of protestors. Even recent pivotal events like Harvey Weinstein’s trial and the Capitol riots find their place in this visual narrative, serving as a reminder of photography’s power to capture and record history.

Adding to the exhibition’s unique ambience is its unconventional design. The walls have large cut-out sections that add a sense of fragility. This visual metaphor speaks to the exhibition’s title – the beauty of photography lies in its ability to capture a moment in time, forever preserving something that is inherently fleeting.

Rounding off the exhibition, a section titled ‘Collecting Now’ highlights recent acquisitions to Sir Elton John and David Furnish’s collection, offering a glimpse into their ongoing journey as avid art enthusiasts. This space, much like the rest of the exhibition, is a testament to the couple’s deep appreciation for musical, cultural and creative heritage. 

Featured: Installation image of ‘Fragile Beauty’ at V&A South Kensington © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Review by Amy Melling

Read Amy’s latest Review: Bahamian Artist Tavares Strachan’s ‘There Is Light Somewhere’ Highlights Unsung Cultural Pioneers (abundantart.net)

‘Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection’ is showing at V&A South Kensington until 5th January 2025. More information and tickets can be found here.