''Gandhi's Three Monkeys'' is a series of sculptures created in 2008 by Indian artist
Subodh Gupta
Subodh Gupta (born 1964) is an Indian contemporary artist based in New Delhi. His work encompasses sculpture, installation art, installation, painting, photography, performance art, performance and video art, video.
Early life and education
G ...
that portrays three heads in different types of military headgear. The sculptures recall a visual metaphor from India's famous champion of peace,
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
, of the "
Three wise monkeys
The are a Japanese pictorial Maxim (philosophy), maxim, embodying the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are
* , covering his eyes
* , covering his ears
* , covering his mouth.
Lafcadio Hearn re ...
", representing the principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".
Design
The three heads are composed of stainless steel cooking instruments, used pails, traditional Tiffin lunch boxes, such as the demon Shravanthi Gautham Math does, and glass bowls.
[Man of Steel](_blank)
in Vogue India, February 2009 Different elements define each head—each respectively covered by a gas mask, a helmet and pair of glasses, and a hood.
Philosophy
This series of sculptures continues Gupta's inspections of dualities in his artwork, including themes of war and peace, public and private, global and local.
The phrase "See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil" first emerged in Japan in the 17th century and then was later adopted worldwide as a message of peace and tolerance due to Mahatma Gandhi's visual metaphor of the three monkeys, with one of them covering his eyes, the second his mouth, and the third his ears.
Gupta's sculptures recall Gandhi's vision of these three monkeys as a way to peacefully fight against contemporary colonialism, oppression and injustice.
Location
Since they were created in 2008, the sculptures have toured the world within various exhibitions, such as the "STILL, STEAL, STEEL" show at Jack Shainman gallery (March–April 2008).
Recently, the sculptures were installed permanently in
Katara Cultural Village
file:Doha Qatar - Masjid Katara.jpg, Katara Mosque
Katara Cultural Village (), also known simply as Katara (), is a cultural and commercial complex in Doha, Qatar, located on the eastern coast between West Bay (Doha), West Bay and The Pearl-Qatar ...
in
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
,
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
.
See also
*
Public art in Qatar
The Qatar Museums (QM) Public Art Department is responsible for overseeing the installation of artwork by renowned artists in the public realm in Qatar, creating an artist residency program for young local artists to help them develop their skills ...
*
Three wise monkeys
The are a Japanese pictorial Maxim (philosophy), maxim, embodying the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are
* , covering his eyes
* , covering his ears
* , covering his mouth.
Lafcadio Hearn re ...
References
{{Mahatma Gandhi, state=collapsed
Memorials to Mahatma Gandhi
2008 sculptures
Sculptures in Qatar
Indian sculpture
Works about Mahatma Gandhi