Art, science come together for ‘Undivided Mind’ exhibition

A giant tub where you can float and feel like you are in space, an urban laboratory for birds to rest, a wearable sculpture that protects you from pollution, a four-armed extra-terrestrial character walking the streets of Khirkee - all this and much more will be a part of the art and science exhibition ‘The Undivided Mind’ at Khoj Studios in the national Capital.

“The theme of the 2016 edition of ‘The Undivided Mind’ is health, with three sub-themes — terrestrial health, mental health and extraterrestrial health,” said  Sitara Chowfla, curator about the April 15-16 show.

“Terrestrial health refers to that which is on, or related to the earth,” she said. “This suggests an investigation into the physical health and structure of the body, the environment, the community and the interrelations between these spheres,” she added. 

“Mental health focuses on a psychological investigation of what constitutes health of the mind and raises questions about the socially defined state of well-being,” said Chowfla.

“Finally, extraterrestrial health may refer to any object, being or idea beyond the planet Earth. This sub-theme opens up a space where the relationship between earth and other planetary bodies can be studied,” she said.

Exploring the crossover between art and science, the exhibition includes works by Alexey Buldakov (Russia), Gagan Singh (India), Johanna Schmeer (Germany), Mohan Polamar and Vivek Muthuramalingam (India), Sonia Khurana (India) and Tyska Samborska (Poland). Mohan Polamar and Vivek Muthuramalingam’s project focuses on extra-terrestrial health by using references to yoga, climate change and human evolution. 

Titled ‘Tub of Loss’, a giant tub filled with a solution of magnesium sulphate allows a person to float almost as easily as in space. “We wanted to create a sensory experience of separating mind from body, like we do in yoga, we also want to study how yoga can benefit astronauts and the kind of exercise they need to do,” said Vivek Muthuramalingam.  An installation at the exhibition titled- ‘Womb Narratives’ by Sonia Khurana expresses the profound encounter between science and the representation of female reproductive processes. 

‘Urban Fauna Laboratory’ by Russian artist Alexey Buldakov is an interdisciplinary project focusing on physical health and dedicated to observation of inter-species interactions in the city. 

“While in Delhi, I loved to observe animals and birds and found it interesting that despite the fact that species like pigeons and cats are not economically useful, people still have an altruistic relationship with them and feed them, shelter them,” Buldakov said. 

German artist Johanna Schmeer’s ‘Entangled Bodies’ studies the impact of pollution on the human body. “The sculpture is coated with a special paint that cleans the air. During my research, I discovered that Delhi is the most polluted,” said Schmeer.