Take Up Space
Living and Dying: a live and relaxed sculptural response at the British Museum, 20 July
Pardip Kapil operates like a sort of surrealist mystic. Whereas other artists might go some way to explaining their work or the process behind it, he gives away next to nothing with words.
Presiding over his recent site-specific installation in the British Museum’s Great Hall, it felt like he was silently commanding the room. Sitting behind a laptop, a serene smile on his face, he played a DJ set of his favourite pop bangers, to soundtrack the primarily sculptural show. There was a common undercurrent to the song choices that was difficult to place, but nonetheless set the tone for a transformative couple of hours.
Members of the public and Kapil’s entourage found themselves surrounded by his multi-textured sculptural installations. Mirrorballs, tinsel, photos of the artist and red sticky tape were attached to cardboard boxes, scattered in a small corner of a much larger space, which had the meditative atmosphere of an empty train station or airport.
As active participants, we were invited to tweak and transform the sculptures using a box of materials and our own creative vision. Some added subtle flourishes, by drawing on the work or adorning it with garlands. Others opted to cover the sculptures in tin foil, creating something that looked like the Daleks from Doctor Who. This felt very liberating, and Kapil is apparently not too precious about his work.
Kapil himself was surrounded by photos and video screens, often featuring himself in extravagant get up. There were neon Christmas trees, drawings by the artist and a collection of colourful skulls, seemingly belonging to a Mexican street festival.
Kapil clearly loves a celebration. Themes of fun fairs and partying can be seen throughout his artistic endeavours, and he wears flamboyant hand made costumes. He can sometimes even be seen wearing a Father Christmas hat.
The event was vibrant and energetic. People laughed, danced and played with a large pink net in the same way you would a parachute at a childrens’ party. Overseeing the action, Kapil gave simple but firm instructions such as ‘sit down’ or ‘disco’. At one point he ordered us to leave the room, leading to a brief saunter through some of the museum’s permanent collection.
Kapil, who is himself disabled, is a resident at ActionSpace - a charity which helps disabled artists realise their potential. He is said to be very much in creative control, leading a team to bring his inspired concepts to life.
The happening / exhibition was dubbed a ‘live cultural response’, taking its cue from the museum’s Living and Dying gallery, which features, amongst other things, a moai statue from Easter Island and an installation called Cradle to Grave, exploring the medical history of modern day Brits.
This was a massively open-ended premise for a show, and although I couldn’t see anything obviously linking the gallery to Kapil’s performative work, it felt like a celebration of life in spite of death.
It was a ‘relaxed’ event, designed to be accessible to people who have disabilities or are neurodivergent. There was a strong sense of inclusion, and the open-endedness leant itself to an audience who perhaps don’t like to be boxed in.
It would be easy to class Kapil as an outsider artist, but is there really such a thing? His work doesn’t conform to any particular movement, and his technical ability is unclear, but surely in 2023 these are no longer barriers to putting on a show.