Navagunjara Installation in Delhi
When looking for the perfect five-star hotel, Delhi has some splendid options for the discerning world traveler. One of the busiest metropolises in the world, Delhi has a long history of travelers passing through. It is nothing new to Delhi that so many people, from all walks of life, have felt a magnetic pull to the city. As such, it has a very well-developed tradition for taking care of strangers, and has honed this into an art form that is nothing less than gracious hospitality. This is how you will be met when you travel here, from the moment you’re greeted at the airport. Your stay in our accommodations will likewise be gracious and warm, combining the best part of these old traditions with the newest conveniences of the contemporary world.
People love Delhi for its seeming contradictions, and its ability to combine the old and the new in fascinating ways. A lovely example of this is one of the recent exhibits at the Indian Art Summit. Called Navagunjara: The facade as canvas , this is an interactive installation for the British Council New Delhi. In the Mahabharata, Navagunjara is an avatar of Krshna, who appears before Arjuna as a peculiar creature composed of the parts of nine different animals. Arjuna is about to shoot the animal-monster, before recognizing Krshna, and instead of killing him bows before him. In this story, then, there is a recognition of an animal nature intrinsic to all beings, both wild and tamed. A balance must be struck in order to achieve awakening, and the balance is gained through humility.
In the installation, created by Italian artist Giovanni Cannatta , the Navagunjara story becomes a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all things. The visitor walks into the space, and their image is tracked and projected as a shadow on the screen, as a virtual avatar (a fascinating pun on the notion of the sacred avatar). As they move through the space, there are eight animals who appear on the screen, and they will approach the shadow avatar depending on the visitor’s movements. If the visitor moves in unstable ways, the animals move away, and if the visitor moves smoothly, the animals come closer. Once a perfect calmness of movement is achieved, the animals all move in, and the shadow avatar becomes the ninth animal, which then triggers another series of videos. At this moment the piece really becomes dazzling. This is a splendid example then of how old traditions and new technologies can merge, in the center of Delhi’s creative heart.
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