User:Oorja Garg

Raqs Media Collective

Raqs Media Collective (*1992, by Monica Narula, Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta). The word “raqs” in several languages denotes an intensification of awareness and presence attained by whirling, turning, being in a state of revolution. Raqs take this sense to mean ‘kinetic contemplation’ and a restless and energetic entanglement with the world, and with time. Raqs practices across several media; making installation, sculpture, video, performance, text, lexica, and curation. Their work finds them at the intersection of contemporary art, philosophical speculation and historical enquiry.

History

Early Works

Sarai

Sarai began work in 2000 on issues of media, urban life, and the public domain, at a time when such issues were hardly on the horizon in India. In addition, Sarai brought together academics and practitioners in a new dialogue and collaboration. Sarai was initiated by Raqs Media Collective (Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula & Shuddhabrata Sengupta along with Ravi Vasudevan and Ravi Sundaram, both faculty at CSDS; and the). Sarai’s early research foci on urbanization, media life, and information are now part of any serious thinking about the contemporary. Since its inception, Sarai has initiated research projects on media urbanism, Cybermohalla, critiques of intellectual property, free software, art practice and the public realm, language and the city, and many others.

It has supported unique independent fellowship programmes, and held a host of events including conferences, workshops, and performances.  Like all experimental research initiatives in India, Sarai has seen cycles of expansion and contraction, involving the dispersion of some nodes and the emergence of new sites and publics.

Major Exhibitions

Museum Shows

Untimely Calendar, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi (2014- 2015)

Twilight Language, The Whitworth, The University of Manchester (2017- 2018)

Still More World, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2019)

Raqs Media Collective, K20 + K21, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany (2018)

It’s Possible Because It’s Possible, CA2M, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid (2014); Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC). UNAM Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City; Fundación PROA (2015), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Biennales

Co-Ordinates of Everyday Life, n°28, OPUS,  Documenta 11 (2002)

5 Pieces of Evidence, The Structure of Survival Curated by Carlos Basualdo Venice Biennale (2003)

Utopia is a Hearing Aid, Utopia Station curated by Molly Nesbit, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Venice Biennale (2003)

A Measure of Anacoustic Reason, India Contemporary, Venice Biennale (2005)

Coronation Park, Giardini, ‘All the World’s Futures’, Venice Biennale (2015)

Lost New Shoes, Measure of Anacoustic Reason, Imposter in the waiting room at 15th Biennale of Sydney, Artistic Director: Dr Charles Merewether (2006)

Sightings, 10th Istanbul Biennial (2007)

Curation

MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (2018- 2019)