Monsters of Poetry

media release: "I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt" presents a collection of 12 works by the Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta (b.1976). Showcasing her expertise across various media, the exhibition features her interactive sound installations, sculptures, photographs, and drawings. A conceptual artist, Gupta’s distinctive approach challenges viewers to reflect on how information shapes our perception of reality in today's global society.

Guiding Gupta's art is her research into the power of language, examining how large-scale institutions and invisible structures adopt it to define and enforce societal norms. She also considers language as a tool of resistance, empowering individuals to create new possibilities and challenge existing power structures. She applies these insights to explore issues surrounding the enforcement of national borders, cultural and social identity, religious and ethnic persecution, and the limits of free speech. The exhibition’s title is drawn from the final lines of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko’s 1844 poem, “A Dream.” In the poem, Shevchenko criticizes Tsarist Russia’s oppression of the Ukrainian people and expresses his desire for an independent Ukraine, which led to his exile and imprisonment.

Gupta creates sparse installations that rely on unassuming materials, with contemporary technologies often playing a prominent role. In her interactive audio piece, Speaking Wall (2009–2010), the visitor wears headphones while walking on a platform of bricks on the floor as Gupta’s voice—in alternating authoritative and suggestive tones—directs one across an invisible and shifting border. In other pieces, the artist introduces objects such as flags and maps as visible indicators of geopolitical struggles over national borders and their arbitrary nature.

Inspired by her personal experiences yet deliberately elusive, Gupta’s art communicates across cultures. Often incorporating many languages and perspectives, the artist allows the visitor to arrive at their understanding of the work and formulate individual associations, depending on where or when one encounters her artwork.

This exhibition is curated by Ruth Estévez and coproduced by Amant and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. It is organized at MMoCA by Robin Reisenfeld, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

ABOUT THE ARTIST 

Shilpa Gupta lives and works in Mumbai, India, where she graduated with a BFA in sculpture from Sir J. J. School of Fine Art at the University of Mumbai in 1997. Recognized throughout the global community, she has exhibited in leading international institutions, museums, and biennials for almost two decades, including recent solo exhibitions at Dallas Contemporary (2022); Barbican, London (2021); and the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin (2021). Her work has also been featured in prominent group exhibitions at Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2017); Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi (2017); the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2014); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2011); Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk (2009); Tate Modern, London (2001); and the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (2000).

Gupta has participated widely in biennials in Europe and Asia, and in 2019 was included in the 58th Venice Biennale. Her work is represented in the permanent collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris; Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane; and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, among others.

EXHIBITION CELEBRATION AND CURATOR TALK

On Friday, June 28, 2024, join MMoCA in celebrating the exhibition's opening with a reception from 5–8 PM.

Expand your understanding of I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt as Patricia Margarita Hernández, Associate Curator of Learning at Amant, speaks about artist Shilpa Gupta, her artistic practice, and the artwork included in the exhibition. Admission to the opening celebration, curator talk, and MMoCA’s galleries is free.

Monsters of Poetry reading: 7 pm, 9/26: MMoCA has partnered with the Monsters of Poetry for a reading of original works inspired by Shilpa Gupta: I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt. Poets are writing in response to Shilpa Gupta’s work, exploring and expanding on the themes of individual and collective identity, the power of information and language, and the physical and ideological existence of boundaries.

Monsters + MMoCA is organized by the museum’s Education Department in partnership with Adam Fell, a founding member and co-curator of Monsters of Poetry. The event is scheduled to coincide with Banned Books Week, an annual event bringing together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, and highlighting the value of free and open access to information.

Participating poets include Steven Espada Dawson, Nicholas Gulig, Erika Meitner, Natasha Oladokun, Nikki Wallschlaeger, and Timothy Yu.

The poetry reading will take place in the museum’s lobby

The Great Divide: Partition and its Aftermath Saturday, October 5, 2024 • 2 PM: In this talk, Dr. Mou Banerjee will explore the legacy of this defining moment of the Indian subcontinent and how it continues to influence the Indian subcontinent’s politics, citizenship, and culture to the present day.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS

Throughout the duration of the exhibition, MMoCA will offer a series of activities to complement the exhibition. These include film screenings, poetry readings, lectures, and discussions. Additionally, a dedicated Learning Center will be situated within the gallery, offering activities and information based on the exhibition for the public to create and explore during their visit.

Additional educational program details will be made available at mmoca.org.

ABOUT MMOCA

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is always admission-free. Its vision is to be an organization that fosters the exchange of ideas and creates experiences that will inspire a wide audience; be a nexus for the work of emerging and established regional, national, and international artists; serve as a catalyst for the continued development of a vigorous community of artists; and provide a forum that will encourage people to be challenged by, reflect on, and make connections between art and the world around them. The Museum includes four galleries and The Shop, a space to provide interactive contemporary art experiences and educational workshops to the community.

The Rooftop Sculpture Garden provides an urban oasis with an incredible view which serves as a lovely venue for weddings, art openings, and cinema. The adjacent Rooftop Lounge is used for community and collaborative art pop-ups, as well as a reception area for Museum events. Please visit mmoca.org to learn more.

Hours: noon-9 pm Thursday, noon-6 pm Friday and Sunday, 10 am-6 pm Saturday.