Iftikhar Dadi & Elizabeth Dadi present two neon sculptures from the series ‘Efflorescence’ (2013-present) in the…
Iftikhar Dadi & Elizabeth Dadi present two neon sculptures from the series ‘Efflorescence’ (2013-present) in the exhibition ‘Home and the World’, now open at the Museum Van Loon in Amsterdam.
Curated by guest curator and art historian Thomas J. Berghuis, this exhibition presents fourteen artists who, in their work, explore the connections between colonialism and nationalism.
The ‘Efflorescence’ sculptures are large-scale reproductions of national flowers cast as light installations reminiscent of billboards. They highlight the irony of using flora, which inherently disregards national borders, as symbols of national distinction and identity. The title carries a dual meaning, focusing on both the beauty of flowers in bloom and the processes of decay and discoloration.
Adorning the facade of the canal house is ‘Kerubut’, one of Indonesia’s three national flowers. It is a botanical marvel—a parasitic flower and the largest flower on earth. Its scientific name is Rafflesia Arnoldii, also popularly known as the corpse lily. The flower is native to Sumatra, and the work’s title is drawn from one of its Sumatran names.
‘Karkadé,’a hibiscus native to Sudan, is presented in the museum’s central hall. It references the region of the Sudan in both its beauty and its misfortune.
1-2: ‘Karkade’, Sudan, neon, bulbs, aluminium, mixed media
3-4: ‘Kerubut’, Indonesia, neon, bulbs, aluminium, mixed media
On view until 7 July 2024.
