By Ranjan Kaul
Exhibition opening
Feeling curious and intrigued both by the title and the nature of the exhibition (featuring only art books) I visited the group exhibition titled “Dark Matter” at the ONKAF Gallery, New Delhi, on the opening day. The ongoing show (7 to 17 December 2024) of self-published art books created by 40 artists and writers from seven countries is a serious and fascinating exploration of the possible ways through which visual artists use the medium of self-produced books for self-expression. Curated by Nadezjda Voinova, the exhibition is inspired by her translation of Swedish poet Aase Berg’s book Dark Matter (1999).
“Aase Berg described dark worlds on the eve of the millennium: Dovre’s slate mill, inhuman narrators with fins and feathers, black foam from oil horses, and Aniara – a spaceship turned sarcophagus for humanity” (from the curatorial note).
Published a quarter-century earlier, the book presciently forewarned the near-apocalypse reality we are witnessing today throughout the globe – plagues, wars, violence, fear, trauma, civil strife. Berg set up portals to blackholes in Stockholm libraries using NASA photographs as interpreted by the Swedish photographer Tom Benson.
The wide-ranging art books showcased at the exhibition span genres and take innovative forms including poetry and photo books, zines, magazines, artist diaries, revelatory asemic, cries for help, socio-political statements rooted in the Samizdat tradition, and so on. We see a phone for calling dark matter (George Averin), blue velvet branches ending with three letters at their tip (Nadia Adina Rose), rails made of wooden boards with pyrography that speak of the dichotomy of Soviet childhood and the stark realities under Stalinism (Darya Lisunova), a module and shrouds with biblical letters (Timur Mazitov), a Tarot deck with profane and sexually implicit content (Lera Lerner), an art book on the recent happenings in Bangladesh (Rajesh Deb), singed expressions of displacement on the situation in Manipur (Biju Samanta). Then there are books that are confessional or second skin and tactile like Maria Arendt’s cloth book with writings from the diaries of her sculptor grandparents and the abstract expressionist scroll of dark thoughts by Aakshat Sinha.
Box with a dark matter by George Averin, Wooden box, ink, black paper, vintage film on a reel, old phone number wheel, two white gloves for audience, 15 X 29.7 cm
Two unique characteristics make the show innovatively different. One, unlike those made primarily on paper, the artists in the show have explored other surfaces for their art books, including cloth, wood, metal, plastic, and glass. Two, while we see art books often displayed on tables – closed, kept open somewhere in the middle, or spread out with the folds opened out in accordion fashion – here, we see many works displayed on the wall, placed inside shelves, or hanging from the ceiling. Responding to my query on her approach for the uncommon display, curator Nadezjda says, “I based my curatorial work on the material. Unusual books inspire the inventiveness of expositional thinking.” I ask Nadezjda the nature of her collaboration with the artists.
“It is a bit like a mystical marriage,” she says. “Sometimes I took ready-made books, sometimes our interactions inspired the artists to new unexpected solutions.” Giving her raison d’être for featuring so many artists for a show of this kind, she continues, “Sometimes up to 70 artists have participated in my projects. For me, curating is a megaphone through which voices and incredible talents can be heard. And when I encounter a phenomenon that amazes me, I want to tell the world about it.”
In response to my query on her criteria for selecting the works for the show, Nadezjda says, “I selected artists who reflect on the theme of the dark matter into which we are somehow immersing. Dark matter is understood broadly as cosmic mysteries, ecologies, philosophies, politics, fear, horror, and trauma. The artists either record this situation or suggest solutions for enlightenment. I selected works which amaze me with the novelty of their concepts and formal solutions. In addition, I chose artists who share core values that will help us overcome the darkness: strong clear voices of openness, integrity, honesty, freedom, and feminism.”
A word about curator Nadezjda Voinova before I go on to highlight some select works of the show. A graduate from St Petersburg’s Academy of Arts, she has worked as an art journalist and critic for several prestigious magazines, and has been involved in theatre, music, and cinema projects. She worked with the Bukowskis auction house and was the art director of the Vostok Gallery in Stockholm. Nadezjda has curated art projects in several European cities including, Vienna, Kyiv, Moscow and Baku, and in India in New Delhi. In April 2023, she co-curated an exhibition titled “To Be a Plant” at Urban Fringe - the underground studio, New Delhi. Featuring 50 artists the show centred around anthropo-floral interactions and concerns for a sustainable future. The current show, “Dark Matter” flows organically from the earlier one in that both touch on the themes of post-humanism, transgression, and the end of Anthropocene; both are equally a reflection on the challenges and predicaments that humanity at large is faced with.
As I step into the gallery, a work on the far wall titled Ch&G (Chuk and Gek) / Human and GULAG (2024) by Darya Lisunova, a young Russian artist from St Petersberg, captures my attention as I navigate towards it through the throng of visitors. Made using pinewood boards on which the artist has drawn graphic images using pyrography, the project explores the utopian fantasies and harsh realities individuals faced during Stalin's era. Based on an analysis of A.P. Gaidar’s story, "Chuk and Gek” (written in 1939 during the peak of repression), the artist uncovers an underlying subtext. While the story has a seemingly innocuous narrative of a mother with her two sons travelling east to reunite with her husband for the New Year enduring hardships in their perilous journey, it alludes to a darker reality of a "distant winter settlement" (a GULAG camp).
ЧиГ, CH&G (Human and GULAG) by Darya Lisunova, pyrography, pinewood, 244.5x41 cm, 2024
Writer, poet and author Ulya Nova’s Dreamcatcher / Poem Catcher of a triangle-bird artwork containing typographical scraps from related books and conversations is based on her short poem-parable ‘Fluff, Feather, Tail, Wing’ that acts as a nexus between her new collection of poems and a new book of parables. The literary work is a mix of a dream-like reality akin to a magical lullaby about a bird-catcher chasing a bird to get feathers for a dreamcatcher. The story turns into a parable: an enraged flock pursues the killer of their kin, as if nature itself has decided to take revenge on the offender. The flock carries the writings, so each bird becomes a page-message where we can imagine an indignant murmuration and hear bird voices, alarmed or hopeful. According to the artist, the intent is also to capture a moment of poetry, which often exists at the intersection of dream and reality, inspiration and despair, reality and magic.
Dreamcatcher/Poem Catcher by Ulya Nova, Mixed technique, cardboard, wood, thread, bird feathers found on the coast of the Baltic Sea, 50x30 cm, 2018-2024
Lera Lerner (originally from Leningrad, today St Petersburg) is a Paris-based artist, curator, and mediator. Her concept of “socio-poetic art” focuses on inclusion and mutual learning, empowering vulnerable minorities by creating safe, supportive, and magical spaces with participants. Her public installation and research-based performative practices of embodied empathy question boundaries and emphasize intuition, love, and spontaneity. A titillating work, Lerner’s Non-Clairvoyant Tarot Deck contains printed cards that are most unlike an actual Tarot Deck except in appearance. The immersive cards in the deck that are imbued with sexual implications invite viewers to perform the rituals of poetic ‘fortune not-telling’.
Using graphic imagery and text, the deck of cards explores the complexities of expectation, ethics, and suppressed desires. “In times of injustice,” Lerner says, “when we can’t accept or explain the ethics of human behaviour on a global political scale, we rely on magic and unattainable fantasies. With this Tarot deck, you can indulge in both these activities in a queerly satisfying way.”
Non-Clairvoyant Tarot Deck by Lera Lerner, 2022-2024, printed cards
Non-Clairvoyant Tarot Deck by Lera Lerner
Maria Arendt is a contemporary artist who is particularly inspired by Indian embroidery and works with textiles. She studied iconography as well and experimented with graphic art, illustration, and collage. Her art book installation Embroidered Diaries of Two Sculptors presents scraps of memories, diaries with explanations of the works of grandparent sculptors, Ariadna Arendt and Anatoly Grigoriev. The key element of the work is the story of Ariadna's acquaintance with her “teacher of life” Maximilian Voloshin, as well as memories of VKhUTEMAS and explanatory texts for grandfather Grigoriev's long-term work – the composition “Earth-Cosmos”. (Those who would like to know more about Maria’s work can read an interview with her that we carried on artamour four years ago.)
Embroidered Diaries of Two Sculptors by Maria Arendt, Embroidery on linen, size varies, 2015
Nadia Adina Rose’s exquisite work Day After Day the Trees Keep Their Branches in the Air consists of three dark blue velvet branches emerging from the wall. Their tips have letters from an old Jerusalem printing house, spelling out the word סוף (sof) - "end", signifying an end that seamlessly transitions into the beginning of something new, the circle of life, as it were. The first letter ס (samekh) that has a circular shape is associated with circular motion. The branches seem to imprint this word in the air, capturing both the initial and final points simultaneously.
Day After Day the Trees Keep Their Branches in the Air by Nadia Adina Rose, fabric, iron rods, typographic letters, 30x30x85 cm, 2024
Aakshat Sinha’s scroll-like unfolding canvas book, My Dark Side, with hand-stitched buttons has MDF board tiles as its cover with a laser cut of the artist's name. Erratic, swirling brushstrokes disgorging a slew of dark thoughts, as it were, are rendered with a spontaneous burst of energy. The abstract expressionist work is the outcome of the explosive exploration.
My Dark Side by Aakshat Sinha, Acrylic on canvas roll, hand-stitched to MDF board covers with buttons, 6"x 6"x 1.5" (closed) / 6" x 15'3" (open), 2024
Petr Shvetsov’s Columbarium is a memorial to extinct animal species. Columbarium is a Latin word that means dovecote (derived from columba dove) and in today’s parlance refers to a storage facility for urns containing the ashes of the dead. In ancient Rome, special buildings with rows of semicircular niches were constructed for the urns. The 66-page book rendered in black-and-white risography is a warning to those under the misconception that they are trying to "improve" life on Earth when in fact they are destroying it. The message is clear: in their effort to create comfortable living conditions for themselves, people should not forget the other remaining creatures on the planet and treat them with care and respect. As the artist notes, “The development of nuclear energy has led to the acceleration of mutations of organisms, which further increases the rate of extinction of entire groups of animals. Every day, two species of animals or plants disappear; 26 species of birds and 132 species of mammals are currently on the verge of extinction. We mourn all the loss of life on Earth.”
Columbarium by Petr Shvetsov, artist’s book, craft paper, hard cover, risography, 113/137 ex, 29x29 cm, 66 pages, 2004
Originally from Tripura, artist Rajesh Deb studied art in Kolkata; thus, his works are deeply grounded in the specific experience of Tripura and Bengal in the recent past, of the mass traumas that the states experienced, as well as an expansive vision, both of the India’s rich cultural past and of the political possibilities for the future. Deb’s art book, A Peace Book of Nobel Idiot, is a sarcastic and ironical take on the recent change in Bangladesh politics: how the civil and student movements were transformed into an ultra-religious movement, and how the secular dream of the former President, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, is being systematically destroyed under the stewardship of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, and where minorities today are being attacked and persecuted by different Islamist groups. I spoke with Deb on his motivation to create the art book. “It is shocking to see how Muhammad Yunus has become such a controversial character. While there was a time when he espoused democratic values, he has now turned a blind eye to Islamic terrorism. While I’m not a political activist, as a socially aware artist, I thought it necessary to document the current situation in Bangladesh. I’m equally dismayed with the so-called left liberals who have been maintaining complete silence on the issue.”
Deb’s art book contains folded pages of drawings with progresso pencil and pastels that have been snipped down the middle with portraits or scenes, which when opened out reveal another side. For instance, a portrait of Muhammud Yunus when flipped open on both sides reveals a scene of violence against the minorities; another page has “Jai Bangla” inscribed on the front, but when opened again shows the country’s murky and intolerant side. (Those interested to learn more about the artist's work may read my review of one of Deb’s solo shows.) https://www.artamour.in/post/a-visit-to-neverland-post-office
A Peace Book of Nobel Idiot by Rajesh Deb, Artist’s Book, paper, progresso pencil, pastels, 43x56 cm, 2024
Hailing from Manipur, Biju Samanta is a Delhi-based visual artist/photographer and traveller. His work Echoes of Displacement depicts the aftermath of the recent civil war in the state of Manipur, capturing the fractured and disrupted landscape that remains. The fragmented shapes and scarred textures, singed at the bottom, convey a sense of unease and the lingering impact of the conflict. These visual metaphors invite us to reflect on how pervasive and indelible marks violence can leave behind, echoing long after the battles have been fought. Another work of his, titled Psychological Landscapes uses clear glass bottles with vinyl photographic prints of shadows and PTSD written on them. Implicit in the work is a demonstration of how fear and trauma leaves its imprints on the mind; every blurred edge and gradient of darkness serves as a map of our primal anxieties.
Echoes of Displacement by Biju Samanta, artist’s book, vinyl print on 300 gsm paper, 5 three-folded pages, 6x8 inches, 2023
Psychological Landscape by Biju Samanta, artist’s book, photos 4x4 inches on vinyl print on 100gsm paper in with 10 clear glass bottles 500 ml 8x3 inches, 2024
Owing to limitations of space, it is not possible to describe many of the other equally noteworthy art books on display in the exhibition. It is heartening to see shows that engage frontally with issues that affect the survival of Planet Earth and all its living beings, including humans. Kudos to the artists, curator, and the gallerists for this remarkable and successful collaboration.
“Collaborating with Nadezjda Voinova on ‘Dark Matter’ was a journey of discovery,” says Sharad Chauhan, Director of the ONKAF Gallery. “She weaved a nuanced narrative with a rare sensitivity to the process, treating each book not just as an object but as a fragment of an artist’s soul rendered tactile. Her vision gave the exhibition its depth, turning it into a visceral experience that was not only seen but felt.
“The project brought a quiet intensity within the gallery space, allowing the audience to resonate with individual voices, so diverse and unique, yet resonating as a cohesive narrative. For us, this exhibition was more than a showcase of the artists’ books; it was a meditation on art’s ability to confront the intangible. The curatorial insight into the themes of ‘Dark Matter’ anchored the show in a relevance that felt immediate and profound. As a gallery, we found the experience of hosting DARK MATTER transformative. Together, we aimed to create an immersive space where the global audiences can feel inspired to reflect, question, and connect with ideas beyond the surface.”
The exhibition stands out as a testimony to the immense potential of the oft-neglected genre of art books in contemporary art. What the show does is to demonstrate the possibilities in terms of mediums, formats, and display choices; it would certainly inspire other artists, curators, and gallerists to further explore the genre.
As Nadezjda says, “The artists’ books are entire universes. They are perfect for the Instagram era, less for reading and more for looking, inviting viewers to create their own meanings . . . They offer young and mature artists a complete artistic statement in difficult markets. They are affordable and collectible. In addition, they are convenient and easy to transport.”
What more can one ask for!
(All images are courtesy of the ONKAF Gallery, curator Nadezjda Voinova and the individual artists.)
Ranjan Kaul is a visual artist, art writer and critic, curator, author and Founding Partner of artamour. His works may viewed on www.ranjankaul.com and his insta handle @ranjan_creates.
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