An existential touch to knowledge

Berlin-based Polish-German contemporary visual artist Alicja Kwade, who is today considered one of Europe’s most prominent sculptors, recently held her first solo exhibition in India. Kwade’s series of four new sculptures, entitled ‘Know-ledge’, utilised Encyclopedia Britannica books representing the consolidation of knowledge. While one end was on a stainless-steel funnel, the other had a symbolic stone. Above these works were suspended a series of mobiles that featured rocks hanging from gold-plated structures and wires. The sculptures delved into longstanding themes that have been central to Kwade’s artistic exploration.

“These works raise questions about the nature of information, its creators and the decision-making processes that shape our understanding of the world. The use of fractions of the Encyclopedia Britannica, a symbolic repository of knowledge, underscores these inquiries,” she informed. The funnel serves as a powerful symbol, penetrating both the stone — a representation of material and our Earth — and the books, signifying knowledge. “Books capture a moment in time and reflect the society of their era. There’s a personal and humorous aspect to the works, reflecting the desire to distil and encapsulate vast knowledge into a funnel. However, the presence of a hole, akin to a black hole, adds a touch of mystery and existential contemplation — an aperture that may be perceived as both the beginning and the end, inviting viewers to peer through it,” she elaborated.

Various works on paper also lined the walls of the gallery. Installed in an adjacent gallery space, another of her sculptures, Transformator, explored the diverse possibilities inherent in a moment, an object and even a human being. It consisted of a natural, original branch and its mirrored counterpart in patinated bronze. At the heart of this work was a polished bronze sphere nestled amidst the branches. The sculpture explored the simultaneous coexistence of elements, presenting them in a mirror-inverted yet interconnected manner. “The sphere symbolises our world, serving as both a finite entity and an infinite source of potential—a force field and a transformer,” she explained.

Kwade has also created a centrepiece of this year’s Sculpture Park exhibition at Madhavendra Palace, Jaipur. The new installation, Superposition, consists of interlocking steel frames that unravel like a folding screen. While some frames are bare, four have double-sided mirrors. It is complemented by bronze chairs, each adorned with a substantial stone sphere sourced from local Indian vendors. While both the exhibitions in New Delhi and Jaipur are interconnected, the one in Jaipur takes a distinct approach. It engages a broad public audience in a captivating historical courtyard. Mirrors, carefully placed within the architectural symmetry, create a mesmerising effect, merging reality with reflection and visually transforming the positions and colours of the natural stone spheres.