44 Exhibitions
SPLENDOURS OF THE SUBCONTINENTS A Prince’s Tour of India 1875-6
Some of the finest Indian works of art from the Royal Collection are on display in Scotland for the first time in over 130 years at Holyroodhouse. Te exhibition tells the story of the historic visit made by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) at the end of the 19th century, through the magnificent works of art presented to the Prince as part of the traditional exchange of gifts.
In October 1875, the Prince
of Wales set off on a four- month tour of the Indian Subcontinent, visiting over 21 localities, which encompass the current countries of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Preceding the declaration of his mother,
Queen Victoria, as the Empress of India, the visit sought to establish personal links with the local rulers and strengthen ties between the subcontinent and the British Crown. Travelling nearly 7,600 miles by land and 2,300 miles by sea, the Prince met more than 90 rulers of the different regions he visited, and was presented with some of the finest examples of Indian design and craftsmanship, including jewellery, ceremonial arms, and gold and silverware. Recognising the cultural value and artistic merit of the gifts he had received, on his return to Britain, the Prince made arrangements for the items to be placed on public display. Te original exhibition
toured Britain and Europe between 1876 and 1883 to allow as many people as possible to view the extraordinary works from the Subcontinent. Te newspapers of the time encouraged the Victorian public to visit the exhibition, and by the end of 1883 the gifts had been seen by more than two million people in Britain alone. Tis modern exhibition has more modest expectations, but still follows in the footsteps of the earlier incarnation – to allow the public to see objects from Te Royal Collections. • Until 15 April, at Te Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh,
royalcollection.org.uk. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition.
Enamelled gold inkstand presented by Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh, Maharaja of Benares. Royal Collection Trust/ © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11, 2017
ADEL ABDESSEMED L’antidote
Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed (b 1971) is the subject of a retrospective at the Musée d’art contemporain in Lyon, the city where the artist graduated from art school. Te title of the show – L’antidote – is drawn from the name of a bar the artist used to go to while living in Lyon, a place where people from all backgrounds used to meet. Te antidote is also seen by Abdessemed as a vital experience and a tool against violence in these uncertain times. Working in various media and completing spectacular installations, Adel Abdessemed, who has personally witnessed violence before leaving Algeria for France, draws his inspiration from turbulences or incidents taking place in various parts of the world, as well as from classical works of art from the past. Along with earlier works, the exhibition also features new works especially completed for this retrospective. Adel Abdessemed’s work can also be seen at the MAC Grand Hornu, after both institutions decided to collaborate together in order to present a broader view of an artist who has been active for almost two decades.
• From 4 March to 3 June at MAC, Lyon, France,
mac-lyon.com and Musée d’Art Contemporain Grand Hornu, Belgium,
grand-nornu.eu
Shams (2013) by Adel Abdessemed © Adagp, Paris, 2018
LATIFF MOHIDIN Pago Pago (1960-1969)
Tis exhibition is the result of a new collaboration between the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the National Gallery Singapore, highlighting a period in the work of one of Southeast Asia’s most important modernists. Latiff Mohidin (b 1941 in Malaysia) is Malaysia’s foremost poet and modernist painter and following additional training in Berlin in the early 1960s, he returned to Malaysia, travelling
ASIAN ART MARCH 2018
extensively through his own country and Indochina. Tese journeys led Latiff Mohidin to become acquainted with the avant-garde artists and writers of the area, subsequently creating works that would reflect these regional specificities. Te artist summarised this approach and way of working under the term ‘Pago Pago’ – an important moment in the career of the artist and thus the title of the
exhibition. Te show concludes with the ‘Neo Pago Pago’ period as the artist began prolifically to write poems and literary texts. Tis is a marvellous initiative undertaken by both organising institutions, as there has been little focus on artists from Southeast Asia in French museums so far. Olivia Sand
• Until 28 May at Centre Pompidou, Paris,
centrepompidou.fr
Provoke (1965) by Latiff Mohidin (b 1941, Malaysia), oil on board , 97.8 x 113.1 cm. Collection of the artist
Olivia Sand
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