IMMERSIVE BAMBOO
The Hayward Gallery and the Bagri Foundation present वेणु [Venu], a new, immersive and striking bamboo structure by Indian artist Asim Waqif, exploring themes of urban space, ecology and community. The 2023 commission joins a vibrant portfolio of outdoor summer installations at the Southbank Centre, continuing the Centre’s commitment to providing engaging, free art for all.
Image: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill. Image above: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill.
Asim Waqif, who works at the intersection of art, architecture and design, is creating a large-scale artwork with a bamboo frame that will be supported by an industrial metal skeleton, combining two predominant materials associated with buildings from South Asia and London. Visitors will be able to walk inside and view the installation, and play musical instruments made from bamboo, which will be placed in and around the artwork.
This new public installation, which will be located on the Hayward Gallery Level 2 Terrace, is the third commission from the partnership with the Bagri Foundation since 2021, which provides artists from or inspired by Asia and its diaspora with the opportunity to create a prominent public commission.
Image: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill.
Image: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill. Image above: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill.
Asim Waqif, who works at the intersection of art, architecture and design, is creating a large-scale artwork with a bamboo frame that will be supported by an industrial metal skeleton, combining two predominant materials associated with buildings from South Asia and London. Visitors will be able to walk inside and view the installation, and play musical instruments made from bamboo, which will be placed in and around the artwork.
This new public installation, which will be located on the Hayward Gallery Level 2 Terrace, is the third commission from the partnership with the Bagri Foundation since 2021, which provides artists from or inspired by Asia and its diaspora with the opportunity to create a prominent public commission.
Image: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill.
About Asim Waqif
Based in Delhi, Asim Waqif (b. 1978) creates work that crosses between architecture, art and design with references to contemporary urban design and the politics of public spaces. After studying architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and initially working as an art-director for film and television, Waqif later started making independent video and documentaries before moving into sculpture and large-scale installations. Concerns of ecology and anthropology often weave through his work, inspired by his extensive research on vernacular systems of ecological management, especially with respect to water, waste and architecture. His artworks often employ manual processes that are deliberately pain-staking and laborious, while the products themselves are often temporary and sometimes even designed to decay. He has held solo shows at Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite (2017) and Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012). Recent group exhibitions include the 5th Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi (2022), Durga Puja Pandal, Kolkata (2019), Colomboscope, Sri Lanka (2017), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2016), 8th Asia-Pacific Triennial, Brisbane (2015), and Marrakech Biennale (2014).
Image: The Bagri Foundation Commission_ Asim Waqif, वेणु [Venu], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo © Jo Underhill.
About the Bagri Foundation
The Bagri Foundation is a UK registered charity whose main mission is to realise unique, unexpected ideas from and on Asia, weaving traditional culture with contemporary thinking. The Foundation provides support towards artistic and educational projects and establishes collaborative partnerships with institutions that range in scale—from small cultural organisations that share our ethos and mission to large national and international partners like the British Museum and Hayward Gallery in London, Artes Mundi Prize in Cardiff, The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, and La Biennale di Venezia. The Foundation’s supported projects include film, visual arts, music, literature, courses and lectures, and each of them aims at giving artists and experts from across Asia and the diaspora, or those inspired by the continent, wider visibility on the global stage.
Asim Waqif: वेणु [Venu] is on show at the Haywards Gallery from today until 22 October 2023.
Find out more:
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Twitter: @haywardgallery
Instagram: @hayward.gallery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/