Nationalmuseum Gripsholm Castle opens for the season

In the first major presentation in an American museum of Jitish Kallat’s work, open September 11, 2010–January 2, 2011, the contemporary Indian artist has designed a site-specific installation that connects two key historical moments—the First World Parliament of Religions held on September 11, 1893, and the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on that very date, 108 years later. The resulting work, Public Notice 3, creates a trenchant commentary on the evolution, or devolution, of religious tolerance across the 20th and 21st centuries.

The basis for Kallat’s installation is a landmark speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament, which was held in conjunction with the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in what is now the museum’s Fullerton Hall. The Parliament was the earliest attempt to create a global dialogue of religious faiths, and Vivekananda, eloquently addressing its 7,000 attendees, argued for an end of fanaticism and a respectful recognition of all traditions of belief through universal
tolerance.

With Public Notice 3, Kallat converts Vivekananda’s text to LED displays on each of the 118 risers of the historic Woman’s Board Grand Staircase of the Art Institute of Chicago, adjacent to the site of Vivekananda’s original address. Drawing attention to the great chasm between this speech of tolerance and the very different events of September 11, 2001, the text of the speech will be displayed in the colors of the United States’ Department of Homeland Security alert system. Opening on September 11, Public Notice 3 explores the possibility of revisiting the historical speech as a site of contemplation, symbolically refracting it with threat codes devised by a government to deal with this terror-infected era of religious factionalism and fanaticism.

Curator: Madhuvanti Ghose, Marilynn Alsdorf Curator of Indian and Islamic Art

Sponsor: Lead individual sponsorship is generously provided by the Burger Collection, Hong Kong.

Lead foundation sponsorship is generously provided by an anonymous fund at the Boston Foundation and the Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund.

Individual co-sponsorship is provided by Charles and Kathleen Harper. Additional support is provided by Abby O’Neil and Carroll Joynes, Nancy K. and Stuart J. Murphy, and Betty and Richard Seid.

Generous support is provided by members of the Exhibitions Trust: Anonymous, the Earl and Brenda Shapiro Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sullivan.

Image: Partial mock-up of Jitish Kallat’s Public Notice 3 The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago collects, preserves, and interprets works of art of the highest quality, representing the world’s diverse artistic traditions, for the inspiration and education of the public and in accordance with our profession’s highest ethical standards and practices.

The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404

www.artic.edu

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