Remember Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ video—the one that starts off with the artist in a closed room with yellow walls (which subsequently spawned a thousand memes)? The various light installations in that music video—all clean lines, shadows, and colours—was inspired by the artist James Turrell, considered the ‘master of light’ and a leading figure of the Light and Space art movement. Art House at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre’s latest exhibit, Light Into Space, curated in collaboration with New York’s Dia Foundation, brings this niche West Coast movement to India for the first time.
Walk in and you’re greeted by what seems like a plain white wall. Just when you’re about to dismiss it with a ‘who gets Modern art?’ eye roll, rings of green, blue and yellow swirl into focus, and Robert Irwin’s piece comes to life. Before you know it, an installation of bright white tube lights by Dan Flavin is vying for your attention. Cleverly reflecting this light is a huge shimmering earth-toned painting by artist Mary Corse. First, you’re immersed, and in seconds you’re hooked.
You don’t need to be a follower of, or even familiar with, this movement to enjoy the exhibit. Min Sun Jeon, assistant curator at Dia Art Foundation, explains, “They [visitors] don’t have to worry about not knowing of any of these artists or their work. I just want them to come, see, play, experience, and just enjoy the work.”
But what is the Light and Space movement? The curators elaborate upon the ideas that the show makes tangible. Originating in the 1960s and ’70s in Southern California, the movement is also dubbed Finish Fetish or California Minimalism for its preoccupation with glossy finishes (fluorescent lights, resin, cast acrylic, etc) with abstract but pared-down elements. But what makes this movement primed for a new wave of appreciation today is that it is as interactive as it is Instagrammable. The art here is grounded in perception and participation, with a heavy dose of ephemeral visions and optical illusions. It’s a carnival for sophisticates, with tricks and treats made of shadow play.
On the second floor, curators Jessica Morgan and Min Sun Jeon have ensured that this interaction comes alive. Each artist featured gives the concept of light their own spin, whether it is through direct illumination using neon tubes or directing the flow of light with mirrors. “It [the exhibit] is all about questioning and challenging the limit of perception through light. It is the greatest unifying factor among these artists,” said Jeon.
Look out for Nancy Holt’s ‘Mirrors of Light I’, a slanting row of round mirrors. Pro tip: stand close to the lowest mirror and move backwards and sideways and watch the pristine walls light up in front of you. Then there’s Dan Flavin’s artificial neons, creating an eerie glow of green in front, with an orange-yellow back-lit halo. And then, my favourite (and Morgan’s), the John Chamberlain iridescent sculpture made of contorted plexiglass overlaid with a shiny mineral coating—otherworldly, like it belongs in space.
Head up to the next floor and experience the grandeur of the space. The double-height ceiling contrasts with a minimal floor sculpture that resembles PlayStation buttons sans the Xs and triangles. This stainless-steel piece by Walter De Maria leaves a shimmering constellation of what appear as stars on the ceiling. It’s almost meditative—get ready to lie back and take it all in.
Next, Mary Corse picks up the pace, quite literally. This piece will have you physically pacing back and forth to figure out where in the world the ‘light’ is. But you do finally spot it, a subtle glowing band running though the centre of the canvas, painted with microspheres, a shimmering industrial material.
And finally, the fourth floor features what seems to be an innocuous steel bin. When you peer inside, though, a periscope-like effect emerges as mirrors collide with each other, giving off a million reflections. Definitely the spot for an artsy selfie.
The exhibit is a masterclass in contrasts and the interplay of materials that come together seamlessly. But honestly, it’s a fun few hours of chasing light, searching for shadows, and exhausting your phone memory with your own Drake-like memes—all as you develop a new appreciation for a now-retro art movement.
Light Into Space, organised by Dia Art Foundation, will be on view at Art House at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) till May 11, 2025
