Parul Gupta

Abstract “Lets proceed in parts”

Ruben Dario, a Nicaraguan poet, is said to have commenced modernism in Latin American Literature with his most renowned work Azul (Blue) towards the end of nineteenth century.

His poem – “Vamos Por Partes (Let’s proceed in parts)” philosophizes the notions of time, movement and rupture, which artist Parul Gupta has taken as sets of prompts to build the exhibition around.

Gupta’s juxtaposition is also prompted by the prologue on the poet by Octavio Paz from the “Selected Poems by Ruben Dario” (1965), where he described the poet:

“The modernist (Ruben Dario) accomplished more than the job of the restoration. (For him) The world, the universe, is the system of correspondences under the rule of rhythm. Everything connects, everything rhymes. Every form of nature has something to say to other. The poet is not the maker of the rhythm but its transmitter. Analogy is the highest expression of the imagination.”

The exhibition stems from these prompts as a means to create a space accentuating the oscillation of eternal trap of time, which manifests the amalgamation of cosmic diversity. 

Let’s proceed in parts was a solo project responding to some of the poems of Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario. It was also the title of one of his poems from where the exhibition takes form. The exhibition was a mix of site specific installation, hair-fall video, drawing in space, light installation, site specific kinetic installation and an approximate 100’ long drawing based on movement – together to respond to the poems and taking the exhibition space as the departure point and build the notions of time, movement and rupture. The prompts were not addressed linearly but were overlapping – space & time – linear space & physical space – movement & consciousness – rupture & emptiness – motion & time.

Site specific work – The exhibition space was divided in parts. As one enters the basement level of the building, one encounters installed triangular platforms in two opposite corners of the room, which subtly sloped up from the floor, joining at the meeting points of adjacent walls. The installation was closely matched as the color and materiality of the original floor surface and at once extends and transform the plane of physical space.

Medium: Boards, Paint, Nails

Hairfall Video – Link to hairfall video

Drawing in Space – An immersive installation of thread and light. The installation is an extension of drawing in space from last project (Making Space 2016). Here one could not grasp the static drawing as multiple rotating lights in the centre created equal number of moving shadows.

Medium – White Thread, Cycle Spokes, Nails, Lights, Kinetic Mechanism, Paint, Wooden Board

Light Installation – The video piece is projected on the floor and shows a shadowy image of light passing through a pane-glass window, with a tree fluttering softly in the breeze. The space had no window so the certain impossibility of the light/shadow play was an extension on my enquiry on perception and at the same time a rupture from the perceived understanding.

The work is produced by Rajan Kumar Singh.

Site Specific Kinetic installation – Another work in the space was this self moving column which is a false pillar disguised as belonging to the existing architecture mechanically moves along the axis of the room at an infinitely slow pace.

Medium: Wooden column, wheels, motor & sensors

Notes on Movement Drawing- A single white scroll stretches across 4 walls of unequal length. The scroll is marked with drawing in a slowly mutating linear pattern. It has a frame by frame animated movement within, which is only visible after walking past some frames. Each band within the drawing starts and ends on the same frame which frames it on a self contained loop and has an effect of an optical illusion along with spaces of rests and pauses.

Medium: Graphite on Mylar Paper