NGMA hosts Rebecca Horn’s versatile works

National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Delhi and the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, ifa), Germany are hosting an exhibit of art installations, entitled ‘Passage through Light’ by one of the country’s most versatile artists, Rebecca Horn.

An array of mediums and forms like drawings, kinetics, sculptures, installation, photography, action, video, film, performance and text are evident in her works. This is the third show organized by the NGMA as part of the Permanent Cultural Committee of India and Germany including firstly, Günter Uecker, Fluxus and now Horn.

Meanwhile, on the grand occasion of 60 years of fruitful Indo-German diplomatic relations, a collaborative event is being held, scheduled to continue till early 2013. It has a thematic focus on ‘StadtRäume – CitySpaces’, and mull over the implications of rampant urbanisation and several challenges posed by the rapid pace of change in both German and Indian cities. Aspects such as sustainable urban development and architecture, cultural space and mobility, education and urban are prominently featured through performing and visual arts events.

A celebrated German artist, Rebecca Horn, presents her body of work known to challenge set perceptions on contemporary art. The exhibit is an interlacing of film and sculpture that have been the major constituents of her work. Elaborating on it, an accompanying note states, “Emotionally charged text sequences verbalized on film, accompany the objects on view as a poetic text. They reflect and interpret the tale as it runs in the scenes. To reflect her deep understanding and engagement with India, the artist has made an installation.

The work derives from the country’s traditions. Materials like sarees, clay, mirrors and bamboo have been embedded into it with precision. A regular participant in ‘documenta’, the Kassel art exhibition, her debut show took place in 1972, before she rose to international fame. Rebecca Horn’s works are being presented courtesy ‘Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities’ at the NGMA, until 20th May.