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Golan Levin with Greg Balthus, Opto-Isolator, 2007, Photo: John Berens, courtesy bitforms gallery nyc.

Daan Roosegaarde, Dune, 2006-2009, Photo: Daan Roosegaarde.

Daan Roosegaarde, Flow 5.0, 2007-2009, Photo: Daan Roosegaarde.

Aaron Koblin, Radiohead: House of Cards, 2008, Technical Director: Aaron Koblin, Director: James Frost, Production Company: Zoo Films, Los Angeles.

Sennep / Yoke, Dandelion, 2006, Picasa 2.0, Photo: Sennep.

Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
London
Decode:
Digital Design Sensations
December 8, 2009-
April 11, 2010

Digitally growing plants and a mechanical eye that mirrors the blink of a visitor’s gaze is among the digital works that feature in Decode: Digital Design Sensations. The exhibition shows the latest developments in digital and interactive design, from small screen based graphics to large-scale installations. Curated in collaboration with leading digital arts organisation onedotzero, there are works by established international artists and designers including Daniel Brown, Golan Levin and Daniel Rozin as well as emerging designers such as Troika and Simon Heijdens.

The exhibition is centred in the Porter Gallery with a series of interventions
throughout the Museum and garden as well as a number of specially commissioned one-off performances. For the first time, the V&A is also commissioning a digital work for its website and provides remote access to some of the works on display.

The exhibition explores three themes. Code as a Raw Material presents pieces that use computer code to create new designs in the same way a sculptor works with materials such as clay or wood. This section looks at how code can be programmed to create constantly fluid and ever changing objects. On display is a new piece by Daniel Brown from his On Growth and Form series, inspired by the V&A’s collection. Brown uses advanced mathematics to generate organic depictions of imaginary plants that continuously grow, producing new buds, blossoms and stalks. As soft, organic digital images, these generative flowers continue to develop and grow over the course of the exhibition.

The second theme, Interactivity, looks at designs where the viewer directly influences the work. Visitors are invited to interact with and contribute to the development of the works, many of which show designers playing with the boundaries of design and performance. One object is Golan Levin’s Opto-Isolator, a human-sized mechanical eye which follows the gaze of the viewer, blinking one second after its visitor blinks. Weave Mirror by Daniel Rozin is a responsive sculpture that recreates an image of the viewer on its 768 motorized planes. A smoky portrait comes into focus as the planes rotate into place.

The final theme, The Network, focuses on works that comment on and utilise the digital traces left behind by everyday communications, from blogs in social media communities to mobile communications or satellite tracked GPS systems. This section explores how advanced technologies and the internet have enabled new types of social interaction and media for self expression. Designers reinterpret this information to create works that translate data into striking forms. These range from live, real-time visualisations of flight patterns by Aaron Koblin to a data mining project by Jonathan Harris and Sep Kemvar. Their project We Feel Fine extracts comments by bloggers from all over the world on how they are feeling and represents the information as colourful, floating spheres. Users can filter the information by selecting an emotion as well as bloggers’ gender, age and the city and weather conditions where he or she is based to reveal anonymous, often highly personal, statements about modern life today.

Mehmet Akten, Body Paint at Tyneside Cinema, 2009.

Phantom I Rolls Royce, England, 1927, Steel, aluminium, chrome, leather, glass, Private Collection, In princely India cars were the ultimate symbols of modernity and indicators of status. This Phantom I, built to an extremely comprehensive set of specifications, was commissioned by Maharaj Kumar Bhupal Singh of Mewar. The state had a fleet of such cars, and it was patronage on this scale that was central to the success of firms such as Rolls Royce.

Elephant trappings, Jodhpur, 1880-1900, Velvet with gold thread, Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur. When dressed ceremonially a royal elephant would have worn a jhool, a large textile covering its back and sides and a smaller piece, a sehri, to adorn its forehead. These examples are from the royal collection of Marwar and were used well into the 20th century.

Detail showing Maharana Ari Singh at the Jagmandir, 1767, Courtesy of the Maharana Mewar Charitable, Foundation, © David Dunning.

Ganga Singh of Bikaner Vandyk, London, 1915, Modern photographic print from an original negative, Maharaja Gangasinghji Trust, Bikaner. Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner fought for the British first in China during the Boxer Rebellion and then in the First World War. The first Indian to be made a general in the British Army, he represented the country in the Imperial War Cabinet and War Council and was a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles.

Howdah, Jodhpur, 1870-90, Carved wood, silver, gilded silver, velvet, silk brocade, Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur. When borne on an elephant, Indian rulers sat on a howdah. It was often embellished with royal symbols and executed in silver or gold, the precious metals reflecting the majesty of the king. This howdah, complete with parasol, comes from the collection of the maharajas of Marwar. The rear seat would have been occupied by an attendant bearing a parasol or chauri.

Adani, Udaipur, 1800-1900, with contemporary additions, Wood, silver, velvet with gold thread, synthetic fabric, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation. In Indian court ritual the power of the king was articulated through his regalia and insignia, collectively known as lawajama (literally ‘necessary things’). This round fan is an adani, and in procession was swung on the axis of a long staff. The textile draping would have been soaked in sandalwood oil, which gives off a distinctive scent that is considered sacred in Hinduism.

Golden Throne.

Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
London
Maharaja:
The Splendour
of India’s Royal Courts
October 10, 2009-January 17, 2010

Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts, is the first exhibition to comprehensively explore the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture. It will bring together over 250 magnificent objects, many on loan to the UK for the first time from India’s royal collections. The exhibition includes three thrones, a silver gilt howdah, gem-encrusted weapons, court paintings, photographs, a Rolls Royce, Indian turban jewels and jewellery commissioned from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in the 20th century.

The exhibition covers the period from the 18th century when the great era of the maharajas began to the end of British rule in 1947. It shows the changing role of the maharajas in an historical and social context and look at how their patronage of the arts both in India and Europe resulted in splendid and beautiful commissions designed to enhance royal status and identity.

Many of the objects have never before been seen in the UK. The royal collections of Udaipur and Jodhpur are lending several spectacular paintings and objects. The V&A is reuniting four portraits from the 1930s by Bernard Boutet de Monvel depicting the elegant Maharaja and Maharani of Indore. One pair depicts them in Maratha dress and the other in modern Western dress. They are shown together on public display for the first time.

Another object on show in the UK for the first time is the Patiala Necklace, part of the largest single commission that Cartier has ever executed. Completed in 1928 and restored in 2002, this piece of ceremonial jewellery originally contained 2,930 diamonds and weighed almost a thousand carats.

The exhibition begins with a recreation of an Indian royal procession with a life-sized model elephant adorned with animal jewellery, textiles and trappings and surmounted with a silver howdah.

The initial displays explore ideas of kingship in India and the role of the maharaja as religious leader, military and political ruler and artistic patron. Symbols of kingship will include a gaddi (throne) from Udaipur, elaborate turban jewels, ceremonial swords and a gold ankus (elephant goad) set with diamonds. A palanquin from Jodhpur used to carry the Maharaja’s wife provides a rare glimpse into the lives of ladies at the royal court. The interior of the palanquin contains original framed prints and cushions.

The next section of the exhibition focuses on the shifts of power and taste in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The disintegration of the Mughal Empire led to a period of political change in which rival Indian kings laid claim to territory. On display is be the golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united the warring factions of the Punjab into a powerful Sikh state, as well as weapons and armour owned by Tipu Sultan of Mysore and the Maratha ruler Yeshwant Rao Holkar of Indore.

This period also witnessed the rapid expansion of the territorial interests of the English East India Company. This led to a new hybrid Anglo-Indian style which will be seen in objects such as a Spode dinner service and an Egyptian-revival style chair designed for the Nawab of Awadh.

The exhibition then looks at the grand imperial durbars of the Raj through large-scale paintings and rare archive film footage. This section includse a carpet of pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds made for the Maharaja of Baroda and exhibited at the durbar of 1903.

The final section explores the role of "modern" maharajas during the Raj and the increasing European influence on their lives. The exhibition shows how they were portrayed in both Indian and European style through portraits of the maharajas and their wives by photographers and artists including Man Ray, Cecil Beaton and Raja Ravi Varma.

The maharajas’ patronage of European firms resulted in luxurious commissions. On display are saris designed by leading French couture houses, a costume by Madeleine Vionnet, a diamond and emerald necklace designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, a Rolls Royce and a Louis Vuitton travelling case.

The maharajas were also patrons of the emerging European avant-garde. The exhibition will include modernist furniture commissioned by the Maharaja of Indore for his palace in the 1930s and architectural designs for the Umaid Bhawan palace, an Art Deco style residence commissioned by the Maharaja of Jodhpur.

Mark Jones, Director of the V&A, said: “There has never been an exhibition like this before, showing the spectacular treasures of the courts of the maharajas. Many of the objects are leaving India for the first time to come to the V&A. This exhibition will show that India’s rulers were significant patrons of the arts, in India and the West, and will tell the fascinating story of the changing role of the maharaja from the early 18th century to the final days of the Raj.”

Watson Turban Jewels, Mid 18th, Century, © V&A Images.

Elephant jewellery, Udaipur, 1880-1910, Silver, white metal, cotton, leather, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation. As the mount of a king a royal elephant was equally richly dressed. Elephant jewellery included a necklace (halra), tail ornament (dumachi), head ornament (fateh-pech) and bells (ghanta). The pieces shown here belong to the royal family of Mewar and are still occasionally used.

Ankus, Jaipur, about 1870, Gold, diamonds, enamel, V&A: 02693(IS). In India elephants are symbols of wealth and prosperity. They had pride of place in royal stables and were used in important religious and secular processions. The elephant driver or mahout controlled the animal using an ankus (literally ‘to restrain’). This ceremonial example was made in Jaipur, a city famed for fine enamelling. The images on the handle depict scenes of a hunt.

Procession of Bhim Singh of Mewar to Eklingji, Bakhta, Chokha, and Udaipur, 1802, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Bejewelled and smoking a hookah, the Rajput ruler is shown riding in procession to the temple of Eklingji, his ancestral deity. He is surrounded by attendants carrying his lawajama (regalia and insignia) and a large group of nobles and courtiers, many of whom are identified in an inscription on the reverse. The lively and detailed depiction reveals the talents of the Mewar artist Bakhta and his son Chokha.

Buddha Offering Protection, South India (Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu), 1000-1100 AD, Gilded cast copper alloy, Museum no. IPN 2639, Purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, The Anthony Gardner Memorial Fund and an anonymous donor.

Head of the Buddha, Northern China (Hebei Province), 550-577 AD, Limestone with traces of pigment, carved. Museum no. A 98-1927.

White Tara, Nepal or Tibet, 1500-1600 AD, Copper, gilt, jewels, Museum no. IM 28-1919.

Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
London
Buddhist Sculpture
Open April 29, 2009

Victoria & Albert Museum opens The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery in April, the first gallery for Buddhist sculpture in the UK. The new day-lit gallery displays highlights from the V&A’s world class collection of Buddhist sculpture ranging from monumental Chinese temple sculptures to tiny portable gilded Buddhas. On display for the first time is an early surviving image of the meditating Buddha (c.300 AD) from Northwest India and a 17th-century gilded figure of the saviouress Tara from Nepal.

Around 50 sculptures created by master craftsmen between AD 200 and 1850 are shown in the new gallery to explore how the Buddha has been represented in Asian art. The Gallery tells the story of the life of the Buddha and the spread of Buddhism from India to the other regions of Asia. The sculptures are arranged in geographic groupings demonstrating the diversity of artistic expression throughout Asia and reflect the differing Buddhist practices of India, Sri Lanka, the Himalayas, Burma, Java, Thailand, China and Japan.

The new displays include a majestic gilded copper figure of Bodhisattva Padmapani from Nepal, richly decorated with precious stones, and an 18th-century monumental gilt bronze seated Buddha from Tibet. Stone and metal Buddhist images from India and the Himalayas are shown alongside recently restored 19th-century oil paintings which record the famous 5th-century murals in the rock-cut Buddhist monasteries of Ajanta in central India. Life-size replicas of the sculptural reliefs from the 8th-century Javanese Buddhist temple of Borobudur are also on display.

A section focusing on East Asia includes a powerful 7th-century marble torso of the Buddha from Tang dynasty China and the head of a monumental Buddha once carved directly into the rock face of a 6th-century cave temple complex at Xiangtangshan, northern China. The Japanese Buddhist sculptural tradition is represented by an 18th-century standing bronze figure of Fudo, the protector of religion.

The spectacular three metre high Mandalay Shrine, a rare surviving piece from the now destroyed royal palace at Mandalay in Burma, is on display in the Museum for the first time. This wood and lacquer shrine is shown complete with its ensemble of offering vessels, attendant figures and manuscript case. Based on Burmese royal thrones of the period, the shrine demonstrates the close relationship between beliefs in the spiritual rule of the Buddha and that of the Burmese king’s semi divine status.

The gallery has been made possible by a generous lead donation from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and a grant of £300,000 from the DCMS/Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery is part of the V&A’s FuturePlan to transform the museum through new galleries and beautiful redisplays of its collections. The Gallery includes an interactive display to explain the meaning of the hand gestures and poses used in Buddhist sculpture. Two films are also shown; one looks at the ancient Buddhist monasteries of Ajanta in central India and Tabo in Tibet; the other shows the living traditions of contemporary Buddhist practice in the Indian Himalayas.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation was founded in 2005 with twin missions: the first to promote Chinese arts and culture, the second to foster a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and apply its insights to the practice of creativity.

The foundation is an independent philanthropic organisation based in Hong Kong and engaged in projects throughout the world. It provides sponsorships, create strategic partnerships, and develop new programmes.

Head of the Buddha, Afghanistan (Hadda), 300-400 AD, Stucco with pigment, Museum no. IM 3-1931.

Figure of a Luohan, Northern China, 1279-1368 AD, Wood with traces of paint, Museum no. A 29-1931.