Seven Arts' Analytical Engine!

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oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, March 22, 2010, 11:52

Seven Art Limited is pleased to present Analytical Engine, curated by Heidi Fichtner. The exhibition will take place in two overlapping segments. Part I opened with a preview on Friday, March 27th from 6.30 until 8.30 pm and Part II begins on Friday, April 17th.

The dynamic artists whose inimitable works are to be witnessed at the Analytical Show include Sophie Christopher, Rohini Devasher, Anita Dube, Abhishek Hazra, Lavanya, Mani, Rakhi Peswani, Mona Rai, Kiran Subbaiah, Navin Thomas, and Asim Waqif.The exhibition takes its name from the 19th Century invention commonly held to be the precursor to modern computing systems, the Analytical Engine.

Conceived by Charles Babbage in the mid-1800's, the machine was based on a system of paper punch cards, the same method used to direct advanced mechanical looms such as the Jacquard loom to which the prototype computer was closely related. If this historic machine represents the intersection between mechanical technology or age-old manual systems which form the basis of craft production and the capacity for abstract analytical thought, the exhibition similarly attempts to map the terrain between traditional techniques and craft-based methods, or the concept of craft as embedded in digital works, and contemporary conceptual discourse.

Including a group of ten artists covering a wide span in both age and preferred media, the exhibition presents works that range from printmaking, tapestry, painting, video and sound to sculpture and installation.

While formal and conceptual orientation varies from artist to artist, several themes run through the show such as the ability of intellectual intent to transform humble materials and processes into conceptually resonant objects (Dube, Peswani, Thomas, Waqif), the exploration of language as a concrete form (Dube, Peswani, Hazra), the extension of codified techniques in newly subverted directions (Devasher, Mani, Rai) and a do it yourself attitude in digital artworks (Hazra, Subbaiah)