Shilpa Gupta

Portrait of Shilpa Gupta (Image courtesy of the artist)

Art exhibitions in London are hardly difficult to find. That said, this installation from artist Shilpa Gupta deserves a special mention. It combines illustrations, poetry excerpts, and an hour-long audio piece to celebrate the voices of detained, censored, and otherwise suppressed poets throughout history.

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Art Exhibitions London – the Concept

Barbican Centre

Image via musiceducation.global

Throughout history, countless poets and artists have seen their work suppressed for various reasons. In their own times, the words they wrote were silenced. In some cases, simply discussing certain topics could land artists in jail.

To avoid further persecution, some poets would etch their poems into soap bars in secret; others would record their work onto cassette tapes. Ingenious methods were devised to share their art with the world.

This Barbican installation is designed to celebrate a broad spectrum of work that went unheard when first written. A combination of visual, sonic, and written elements works in tandem to showcase poetry from around the world.

The Audio-Visual Installation

For, in your tongue, I cannot fit (sound installation with 100 speakers, microphones, printed text and metal stands)

Image via www.barbican.org.uk

Art exhibitions in London are usually showcased to a very high standard, and this example from Shilpa Gupta is no exception. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the experience is the audio-visual installation towards the end of the exhibit.

Shilpa Gupta, For, in your tongue I cannot fit – 100 Jailed Poets. (Image courtesy of the artist, YARAT and Edinburgh Art Festival)

image via baku-magazine.com

Dozens of black microphones hang above impaled scraps of paper in a dark room (see image above). Excerpts from poets around the world echo off the walls. On the scraps of paper, lines and poems from these artists can be found.

Shilpa Gupta, For, In Your Tongue I Cannot Fit 2017-2018, Sound Installation with 100 speakers, microphones, printed text and metal stands, Site Specific.

Courtesy: the artist and GALLERIA CONTINUA, San Gimignano / Beijing / Les Moulins / Habana. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio. 

Image via www.galleriacontinua.com

The result is an experience that’s remarkably difficult to express. The magnitude of these poems is brought to the forefront and is powerfully punctuated by the visual elements of the space.

The Flipboard

Image via www.barbican.org.uk

Another impressive aspect of this art exhibition comes in the form of a pair of airport-style flap boards. These displays face each other in an open, white space. Instead of announcing flight times or arrivals, they display a form of conversation with each other. Thoughts of freedom, love, and peace are explored. These sentiments are accompanied by the loud clacking of the spinning boards that rotate each time a new message appears.

24:00:01, 2012, motion Flapboard, video, 30 min 45 sec loop, 225 x 20 x 28 cm, Photo Ela Bialkowska

Image via www.galleriacontinua.com

We like to stay on top of art news, so we experience a lot of new work quite regularly. Despite our experience, we were still very impressed by the impact this installation had.

The Poems

Shilpa Gupta. (Image courtesy of the artist and YARAT. Photo Fakhriyya Mammadova)

Image via baku-magazine.com

One thing that really stands out with this exhibition is the breadth of poetry that is celebrated. Work from all around the world can be found and explored. Whether it’s small excerpts, inspired illustrations, cast-iron sculptures, or audio pieces, there’s something for everyone here.

The work is on display until February 2022 at the Barbican Centre in London.

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