Shilpa Gupta: I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

The exhibition, I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt presents the Mumbai-based artist practice of Shilpa Gupta (b.1976) with several of her recent installation works, sculptures and drawings. A conceptual artist, Gupta’s interactive pieces focus on human agency and information’s power to shape societal behavior and one’s identity.

A central theme of Gupta’s practice is her inquiry into language and how dominant institutions and individuals often utilize it to inform our understanding of reality—to define and enforce societal values or as a tool to spark new possibilities and challenge power structures.

Referring to her work as “everyday art,” Gupta’s sparse installations rely on unassuming materials, including photography, text, audio, and sculptural objects. Contemporary technologies play a prominent role in her practice, such as in her work Speaking Wall (2009–2010). In this interactive audio piece, the visitor wears headphones while walking on a platform of bricks on the floor as Gupta’s voice—in alternating authoritative and suggestive tones—directs one across an invisible and shifting border. In other pieces, the artist introduces objects such as flags and maps as visible indicators of geopolitical struggles over national borders, immigration issues, religious censorship, and the repression of free speech.

Inspired by her personal experiences yet deliberately elusive, Gupta’s work communicates across cultures. Often incorporating many languages and perspectives, the artist allows the visitor to arrive at their understanding of the work and formulate individual associations, depending on where or when one encounters her artwork.

This exhibition is curated by Ruth Estévez and coproduced by Amant and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Photo by Pete Olsen