Idris Khan: The Devil's Wall
Idris Khan, The Devil's Wall, 2011. Courtesy of Victoria Miro Gallery, London and Yvon Lambert Gallery, New York.
23 February – 13 May 2012
This is the first UK showing of Idris Khan’s new installation The Devil's Wall, which draws inspiration from rituals and practices of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the pillars of Islam and is undertaken by millions of Muslims each year.
Here Khan exhibits three new sculptures and a series of drawings based on an aspect of Hajj ritual. Incorporating sculpture, literary texts, drawings and photography, Khan uses repeated actions and texts in his work to explore his own Islamic heritage, making The Devil’s Wall a pilgrimage of self-discovery that can have powerful resonances for viewers experiencing the installation. Highlights from the Whitworth’s collection, selected with Idris Khan, are also on display.
This exhibition is made in partnership with the British Museum and is supported by Victoria Miro Gallery and Yvon Lambert Gallery.
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Collaboration with the British Museum on the Hajj exhibition
As part of a collaboration with the British Museum in relation to the exhibition Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam, the Whitworth is organizing a number of events. Further details will be added to this web page as more events are confirmed. See below for event highlights so far.
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Artist’s Talk: Ahmed Mater
Tuesday, 13 March, Talk & discussion: 11.00am – 12.30pm, Free
Ahmed Mater will reflect on how he reconciles being a doctor and an artist, shedding light on Saudi Arabia’s secretive society and culture. Mater will be in conversation with Stephen Stapleton, co-founder and director of the independent arts initiative Edge of Arabia.
Born in Abha, Saudi Arabia in 1979, Ahmed Mater is recognised as one of the most influential contemporary Arab artists. Mater’s work was first exhibited in the UK in the British Museum’s 2008 Word into Art exhibition; his work is currently on show at the British Museum as part of Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam until 15 April 2012.
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Artist's Talk: Idris Khan
Tuesday, 3 April, 6-7pm, (reception at 5.30pm) Free
Idris Khan will be at the Whitworth Art Gallery to talk about his work, and The Devil's Wall.
Please note a reception will be held from 5.30pm and the Artist's Talk will begin at 6pm.
Idris Khan (b. 1978, Birmingham) has had solo exhibitions at international venues including the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto; K20, Dusseldorf; and Gothenburg Konsthall. He has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions at venues including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NewYork; Tate Britain, London; Hayward Gallery, London; The Saatchi Gallery, London; Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, Paris: Balbakov Arts Projects, Moscow; the ICA, London; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Tel Aviv Museum of Art; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the de Young Museum, San Francisco; the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and the British Museum, London, as part of Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam until 15 April 2012.
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