Event 4: Fowler Museum's "Making Strange" Gagawaka + Postmortem Exhibit

This exhibit showcases the blending of two distinct works belonging to Vivan Sundaram who is a leading artist in India. Located right on campus near Wilson Plaza, this is a great event to attend and see multiple art pieces that show great craftsmanship and creativity. While viewing the exhibit, I could not help but think about the Body Exhibition by Gunther von Hagens that I mentioned in the MedTech + Art blog (refer to Week 4 blog).

[Image 1: Image 1: Picture of Video playing providing context on exhibit]

Just to provide some context:

Gagawaka – refers to the 27 garments made from ordinary material such as foil, x-ray film, foam, and paper cups to name a few.

Postmortem – refers to the mannequins, wooden and metal structures and anatomical models.

Together, Sundaram hopes to point out the inseparability of fashion/clothing and the human body.

MY EXPERIENCE:

[Image 2: Mannequin and Structures Display]

This is approximately ¼ of the exhibit but it gives you an idea on what to expect. The structures represent the tension between entities that are mere opposites of each other. For example, “pleasure & pain,” “beauty & illness.” Sundaram wants the spectator to engage with his art and contemplate how the human figure can be represented through globalization ideals.

[Image 3: “Snake-shell 2011” – x-ray film]

The garment that the mannequin is wearing is made from x-ray film. On the exhibition overview, one can read how it is constructed and how light hitting the gown changes the x-ray color, but there is no explanation on what the piece represents.

My Analysis:

It is interesting that the chosen material was x-ray film. X-rays are usually utilized to medically diagnose someone of a fracture or discrepancy in the body so I thought it was ironic that this material would cover a mannequin, which is lifeless. This piece, I would say conveys more of the idea on “beauty and illness” in my opinion and the transparent film highlights the inseparability of clothing and the human body. I also wanted to point out that I noticed the x-ray film covered the head (brain) and chest (heart) and I wondered if the artist had a reason behind this.

The exhibit also reminded me of Unit 1’s “Third Culture” idea. Although these art pieces may not seem to indicate science, the mannequins and other anatomical models represent the science aspect. It is a great event to attend so don’t miss out!

[Image 4: Fowler Museum Gift Shop]

WORKS CITED:

"A Life in Science." Gunther Von Hagens. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

"Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA." Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2015.

"Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram." YouTube. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 May 2015.

Siddiqui, Farah. "Vivan Sundaram: More than an Artist | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis." Dna. N.p., 14 Dec. 2014. Web. 25 May 2015.

Snow, Charles Percy. “The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.“ The Rede Lecture. Cambridge University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lecture.