British Council presents works by leading international artists Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi between October 2014 and February 2015
Mumbai, 30 October 2014: The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, brings to India Folk Archive, a vibrant, visual account of contemporary popular British culture by leading international artists Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane.
In India, Folk Archive will be shown at the Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Delhi. The exhibition opens in Mumbai at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum on 30 October 2014 and is on till 30 November 2014. In these venues the exhibition will demonstrate the rich variety of British art and creativity, beyond what audiences may be familiar with, and create at the same an unexpected and complex cross cultural dialogue.
Bringing together drawing, painting, film, performance, costume, decoration, political opinion and humour, and some astonishing objects, Folk Archive celebrates activity from a vast range of British pastimes and pursuits, and demonstrates that folk art in the UK is both widespread and vigorous. Folk Archive includes work from prisoners and community groups, Notting Hill Carnival troupes, protesters, pop fans, teenagers, villagers and the homeless.
Rob Lynes, Director British Council India: “Folk Archive, an exhibition by leading artists Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, captures creativity in everyday life in contemporary UK. The British Council is delighted to present this exhibition in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. With our partners Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Delhi, we are confident that this show will be seen by thousands of individuals across the country. The exhibition is part of the British Council’s Collection, its “Museum without Walls”, and it’s exciting because through the outreach activities planned around this project we hope to see a reflection of contemporary India as well.”
Sharon Memis, Director British Council West India: “The British Council is delighted to bring this wonderful exhibition, ‘Folk Archive’ to Mumbai at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum which relates the history of Mumbai’s many communities, their occupations and leisure activities through models and dioramas, and creating a cross-cultural dialogue. The contemporary history of the UK as represented in Folk Archive engages in exciting and unexpected ways with the contemporary history of the city of Mumbai, itself a place that is iconic for migration and urban flux.”
Folk Archive blurs the lines between traditional categories of ‘fine arts’, design, crafts, folk and daily creativity. It addresses different audience groups: young designers who work with street kitsch visuals, graffiti and street artists, artists engaged with community work, urban cutting edge conceptual artists and young people. Usually contemporary art is considered to be quite inaccessible by non-art world audiences. Folk Archive demonstrates through its quirkiness- the presentation of hand crafted objects, festivals, and the aspirations of people, that art is not something removed from our daily lives. Above all, Folk Archive celebrates everyday creativity that is a part of each of our lives.
Folk Archive is part of the British Council Collection. It was acquired by the British Council Collection in 2007 and has since been exhibited in Belgrade, Paris, Milan and Shanghai. For more information visit http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/exhibitions/exhibition/folk-archive-2014 ; http://www.britishcouncil.in/folk-archive and http://www.britishcouncil.in/jeremy-deller-and-alan-kane .
Folk Archive, India schedule
Mumbai
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum
Preview: 30 October
Exhibition: 31 October- 30 November
Kolkata
Victoria Memorial Hall
Preview: 16 December
Exhibition: 17 December 2014- 7 January 2015
Delhi
Mati Ghar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
Preview: 31 January 2015
Exhibition: 1 February- 27 February 2015