Latest

Exhibition Review: Realms of Wonder

Upon initial encounter with this exhibition one is immediately struck by the aptness of its title and unable to resist the remarkable pull of the pieces: all manner of Indian art of the Jain, Hindu and Islamic faiths.

 

RealmsOfWonderUpon initial encounter with this exhibition one is immediately struck by the aptness of its title – unable to resist the remarkable pull of the pieces one is swept along, in bewilderment and delight, through the various galleries or ‘realms of wonder’, replete with all manner of Indian art of the Jain, Hindu and Islamic faiths.

As we journey through, on a twisting and bifurcating Ganges-esque current, the tributaries of the spiritual traditions are melded together beautifully through intricate tapestries, statues, sculptures and decorative trinkets, whilst Sufi laments periodically pierce the background to perfectly encapsulate the spirit of the landscapes from which they are drawn.

Just as the exhibition pieces speak to broad religious traditions, the fundamental tenets of which are enumerated upon the gallery walls in quotes drawn from the Qur’an or the teachings of Gandhi, ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger’, it also speaks to a common humanity, with broader themes of love and compassion underlying and bringing together the art of the various faiths.

Renderings of the physical manifestations of the divine, Krishna, Muhammad, vacillate between a solemn and severe religiosity, to a more playful representation, such as in the depiction of the titular divine cowherd Krishna overwhelming several female disciples into a passion induced reverie. In these depictions the divine or divinities, although ultimately unknowable, take on an earthly form or avatar, and as conduits for our own flawed humanity – our passions, churlishness, grief, and longings, these representations in turn offer acceptance and love. In their divine form they represent the innately human desire to experience or touch what lies beyond, to our desire for knowledge, or an ecstasy glimpsed only through the transcendental.

Ultimately, however, there remains a incontrovertible ‘disconnect’ between the peaceful, compassionate depictions of the various divinities and the broader cultural and religious context from which they are drawn; whilst here notions of femininity and masculinity become not only blurred, but the closer one encounters the divine the more these elements blend to form a totality, equal in its parts. There is inevitably a contradiction to the cultural manifestations of gender relations in India, where the caste system, dowries and female subjugation remain intrinsic to India’s patriarchal social structures. Also, whilst the pieces articulate different forms of love – love for the divine, love between a man and a woman, teacher and student – some are also suggestive of romantic love between one man and another, a love which is still considered un-godlike in many parts of India.

Despite these undercurrents, the gallery realms exude a remarkable serenity and I found myself having to push against the current in order to leave. It does indeed feel as if one is surrounded by an ancient wisdom; a humour, fondness and benevolence, and that these kind, old souls are not only welcoming, but are beckoning us, through art, music and beauty, to cast our anchor and stay awhile; to contemplate, celebrate, and above all love, for even in our own earthly bodies it may just still be possible to glimpse ‘the place where everything is music.’

Reviewed by Jordana Lennox

Realms of Wonder
Where: Art Gallery of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide
When: until 27 January 2014
Entry: Free

Image credit: Art Gallery of South Australia

 

 

More News

To Top