School consisting of 45 brass stools paired with stainless steel thalis, this commanding work will fill the entire Red Room, creating an environment that is quiet and solemn, yet luxurious and opulent. Gupta's works show an affinity for the domestic realm. His sculptures and installations often incorporate objects that are commonplace in Indian culture, such as the kitchen utensils seen in School.
Hauser & Wirth is delighted to present Subodh Gupta’s striking work School at 15 Old Bond Street. Consisting of
45 brass stools paired with stainless steel thalis, this commanding work will fill the entire Red Room, creating an
environment that is quiet and solemn, yet luxurious and opulent.
Gupta’s works show an affinity for the domestic realm. His
sculptures and installations often incorporate objects that
are commonplace in Indian culture, such as the kitchen
utensils seen in School. In addition to these utensils, Gupta
has included in this work an object with personal signifi-
cance – the stools in School are cast from his father’s low
wooden seat, and the brass version of this traditional item
still bears his initials in the corner.
By casting these elements in such culturally-loaded ma-
terials as brass and steel, multiplying their numbers, and
arranging them in a perfect, grid-like pattern in a gallery,
Gupta transforms them from traditional items into some-
thing extraordinary and enigmatic, producing an act of
displacement that speaks to the cultural, economic and
social changes faced by contemporary society.
Subodh Gupta was born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, India.
He studied at the College of Art, Patna (1983 – 1988)
before moving to New Delhi where he currently lives and
works. Trained as a painter, he went on to experiment with
a variety of media, which culminated in his first installa-
tion in 1996 entitled ‘29 Mornings’. His work has been
prominent in major international biennials and has been the
subject of numerous solo exhibitions across Asia, Europe
and America.
Recent group exhibitions include The Garage (GCCC
School (detail)
Moscow)’s ‘A Certain State of the World?’ (2009), curated 2008
45 brass cast stools and stainless steel utensils
by Caroline Bourgeois; ‘Altermodern: Tate Triennial’ (2009), 560 x 545 cm / 220 1/2 x 214 5/8 in
curated by Nicholas Bourriaud; ‘Indian Highway’(2008),
curated by Julia Peyton-Jones, Hans Ulrich Obrist and
Gunnar B. Kvaran, Serpentine Gallery, London. ‘Faith
Matters’, a solo exhibition of sculptures and paintings by
Gupta, is currently on view at PinchukArtCentre, Kiev,
Ukraine.
Image: School (detail) 2008, 45 brass cast stools and stainless steel utensils 560 x 545 cm / 220 1/2 x 214 5/8 in
Press Contact:
Catherine Mason catherine@suttonpr.com
Kristina McLean +44 (0)20 7183 3577 kristina@suttonpr.com
Opening 23 February 2010
Hauser & Wirth Colnaghi
15 Old Bond Street - London
Gallery hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm