Pippy Houldsworth Gallery is delighted to present a new sculpture in The Box titled Covariance (Sacred Geometry) (2017) by Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat. Made specifically in relation to the proportions of The Box, Kallat’s sculpture seems to extend the micro-format of the structure by exploring notions of macrocosmic thought. Concurrently, an installation by the artist will be on view in the group exhibition Age of Terror at the Imperial War Museum, London from 26 October 2017 to 28 May 2018.
Covariance (Sacred Geometry) is an intricately detailed sculpture that from a distance might resemble a fallen meteorite, anthill or ancient fossil. Engraved on its surface are a number of small eyes modelled on diverse species, from mammals and birds to reptiles and fish. These painstakingly rendered forms transform the sculpture into a mysterious, sentient being, with each of the different eyes looking at the world with its own peculiar type of sight. The work subsequently resonates with questions on time, evolution, co-existence, consciousness and perception. Caged within the confines of The Box, Covariance (Sacred Geometry) holds the viewer in a vigilant, thought-provoking gaze.
Jitish Kallat (born in 1974, Mumbai) currently lives and works in Mumbai. Kallat’s vast oeuvre, spanning painting, photography, drawing, video and sculptural installations, reveals his persistent probes into some of the fundamental themes of our existence.
Kallat’s work has been exhibited widely across the world. His recent solo exhibitions include a mid-career survey exhibition of his work titled Here After Here curated by Catherine David at National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi (2017) and Covering Letter at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2016).
Other key solo exhibitions include Galerie Templon, Brussels (2017); CSMVS Museum, Mumbai (2016); Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (2015); San Jose Museum of Art (2013); the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne (2012); Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai (2011); and Art Institute of Chicago (2010. He has also exhibited in numerous group exhibitions at venues including Tate Modern, London (2001); ZKM Museum, Karlsruhe (2007); Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2007); Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin (2008); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2008); Jean Tinguley Museum, Basel (2011); and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney (2016). He has participated in a number of international biennale exhibitions including the Havana Biennale (2000) and the Gwangju Biennale (2006).
Jitish Kallat was the curator and artistic director of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014).