The exhibition features ancient Hindu and Buddhist sculptures, and artworks by Andy Warhol, Paul Becker, Henri Matisse, Katherine Bradford, George Condo.
“Amongst the oldest and most diverse forms of artistic expression, Hindu and Buddhist sculpture reflects the rich and complex history, culture, and spirituality of India and its neighbouring regions. Although the images of human figures differ from those found in western iconography, the preoccupations for depicting both the inner and outer life of its peoples are very much shared.
In contrast to the renaissance maxims of perspective and linear storytelling, Hindu and Buddhist art is more concerned with conveying complex narratives and multiple scenarios through a single image. For instance, ancient Hindu and Buddhist reliefs and paintings show the life and teachings of Buddha and other deities in a series of interconnected panels, each with its own focal point and perspective. This technique allows the viewer to explore the story from different angles and levels of detail, creating a sense of movement and continuity. The exhibition, however, delves into the individual characters depicted in the reliefs, by means of fragments allowing a more detailed study than would have been possible at the time of their creation.
The introspective and spiritual aspect of these stone sculptures is very much a shared aspect of most figurative artists. Although not a religious image, in ‘Lydia au Chapeau’ Matisse projects a gaze that is reminiscent of some of the spiritual and transcendental qualities of the sculptures.
Similarly, Paul Becker shares a preoccupation with ancient sculptures, that of analysing the human-animal relationship. Although Becker’s work shows a distinct power equilibrium to the confrontational quality of classical Indian temple tiles, the lyrical lines and poetic quality of the work is a shared concern of both artists” — The MENAEA Collection.
Image credit: Javanese bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Indonesia, courtesy Galerie Zacke and The MENAEA Collection.
