New Delhi, 19th May, 2015: The British Council marks the launch of its new art gallery today with an exhibition by leading British artist Julian Opie.
Presenting the new acquisition of works from the series, Winter. the exhibition opens at the British Council gallery on 14th May, 2015 and will be open for public viewing till 27th July, 2015. The exhibition and opening of the new gallery is in-line with the British Council’s Reimagine Arts initiative that was launched in 2013 to build new cultural avenues between the people, and cultural institutions, of the UK and India. The Gallery will be a new ‘hub’ for art enthusiasts around the country and will showcase the best forms of art from contemporary UK and India.
- by Julian Opie centers around a sequence of seventy-five prints that represent a circular walk taken by the artist through the French countryside on a harsh but beautiful day. The prints absorb an eclectic range of influences, from 17th century Dutch landscape painting to street view on Google Maps, and are at the forefront of Opie’s continued investigation into the experience of landscape.
Speaking on the occasion Rob Lynes, Director British Council India said, ‘It brings us immense pleasure and delight to collaborate with Julian Opie for the opening of the Gallery at the British Council. The exhibition displays a form of art which is fresh and captivating to the eye and also a step forward in building cultural connections between the UK and India through artistic exchange. The UK has a new government which will look for ways to strengthen its relationship with India. The arts and culture are an important part of that relationship and the British Council will continue to work with partners to support this.’
An avid thinker, Julian Opie takes the physical world as the starting point for his artistic practice, be it nature or human beings, which he first captures through an innovative drawing process using a camera and computer technology as his tools.
The installation of these works creates a surrounding panorama that combines the rural landscape with slick architectural surfaces immersing the viewer in the essence of the artists vision.
Julian Opie said on his art work, ‘It was very exciting when the British Council decided to buy the Winter. series. They have always been very supportive and I’m particularly happy to keep such a large part of this series intact as a group and to have the chance to exhibit them together in the new galleries in Delhi.My first big project with the Council was the Indian Triennial in 1997 – an important exhibition for me – so it’s particularly pleasing to collaborate again in India and show this intimate project in Delhi and beyond. I am so happy that Winter will be travelling to various parts of the country over the coming months. I have been lucky enough to exhibit widely in India and, over the years, my family and I have fallen in love with India – the landscape, the historic art and architecture, the people, the weather, the food. This project depicts a cold, quiet Northern European landscape, which I imagine, will contrast strongly with the coming venues. I hope the contrast will be refreshing.’
This collection is an inspiration from a stroll through a bleak winter landscape in France. With 75 images in all, the viewer feels engrossed and cocooned in that French landscape.
Exhibition Schedule
Exhibition dates: 15th May to 27th July, 2015
Exhibition timings: 8.00-20.00(Monday- Saturday)
9.00-18.00(Sunday)
About the artist
Julian Opie is a renowned British artist born in 1958. He is one of the leading figures in contemporary art, for over three decades has pushed the boundaries of portraiture, painting, and sculpture, seeking to break down what he believes to be illogical barriers between the disciplines. Portraits and animated walking figures, rendered with minimal detail in black line drawing, are hallmarks of his style. He has developed an instantly recognisable and unique formal language through digital manipulation, reducing images to simplified forms of line and colour. Julian Opie graduated from Goldsmith’s School of Art, London in 1982 where he studied under the British artist Michael Craig-Martin. He has gone on to show extensively around the world, with solo exhibitions including National Portrait Gallery, London (2011), IVAM, Valencia, Spain (2010), MAK, Vienna (2008), CAC Malaga, Spain (2006), Neues Museum, Nuremburg, Germany (2003), Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK (2001), Kunstverein Hannover, Germany (1994) and Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1985).
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
For more than 70 years the British Council has been collecting works of art, craft and design to promote abroad the achievements of the UKs best artists, craft practitioners and designers abroad. The Collection — which began in the late 1930s, with a modest group of works on paper — has now grown to a collection of more than 8500 artworks, from paintings and prints, to drawings, photography, multi-media and installations. The Collection has no permanent gallery and has been referred to as a ‘Museum Without Walls’.
The British Council was established in India in 1948. The British Council is recognised across India for its network of 9 libraries and cultural centres. We offer a range of specialised projects in arts, education, exams, English language and society to audiences across India and more than 100,000 members. We also provide access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers, offer UK qualifications in India and enable opportunities to study in the UK.
For information on our work in India, please visit www.britishcouncil.in