The first major London exhibition by Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta highlights the fragility of one’s right to expression whilst raising urgent questions of censorship, confinement and resistance.
Gupta will present and build on her acclaimed project For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit (2017–18) – an immersive installation and soundscape which comprises 100 microphones suspended above 100 metal spikes, each piercing a page inscribed with a fragmented verse of poetry by a poet incarcerated for their work, writings, or beliefs. Alternating between languages, the work includes poetry from the 8th to the 21st centuries. Through each poem, Gupta draws attention to the wider stories and experiences of global histories and gives a voice to those who had been silenced.
Extending on the research and themes present in the installation, Gupta will present new work, including the artist’s first pair of motion flapboards which further expand on her use of sound, language and the power of speech.
Shilpa Gupta (b.1976, Mumbai) lives and works in Mumbai, India. Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses a wide range of media and processes, from text, sculpture, video, photography and sound which poetically explores physical and ideological boundaries and how, as individuals, we come to feel a sense of isolation or belonging. Gupta has exhibited work internationally, with solo and group exhibitions at galleries and biennales including M HKA, Antwerp, Arnolfini, Bristol and the Venice Biennale (2019) among others.
The exhibition has been commissioned by the Barbican, London. Supported by the Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding from Arts Council England.
Your Visit
A few things to consider before your visit:
- Entry to the exhibition is free and no advance booking is required
- Long umbrellas will not be allowed in the gallery.
- This installation includes poetry, both historical and contemporary, some of which uses racially charged, sexually explicit or strong language that visitors may find upsetting
- Under 14's must be accompanied and young children should be supervised by an adult at all times
- You can champion work in the Curve by donating £3 at the entrance of the gallery to help us present emerging and international artists, and keep the space free for all to discover and enjoy.
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