Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter

On November 13, 2016, Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter, an immersive installation by one of India’s leading contemporary artists, opens at the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The presentation of Covering Letter celebrates a recent gift to the Museum from trustee Ajay Raju and is the premiere of this work in the United States. It will remain on view until March 5, 2017.

Covering Letter fills an entire gallery with a video projection onto a curtain of mist created by a ceiling-mounted fog machine. It features Mahatma Gandhi’s historical letter written to Adolf Hitler on July 23, 1939, just weeks before the start of World War II. In the spirit of Gandhi’s doctrine of universal friendship, his letter begins with the salutation, “Dear friend…” and offers a passionate plea to Hitler to pursue peace rather than war. In Kallat’s installation, the movement of the visitor’s passing body through the fog diffuses Gandhi’s text, echoing the fate of a plea that went unheeded. The artist describes the letter as a petition from a great advocate of pacifism to one of the world’s most vicious dictators. It is also an open invitation for self-reflection, as Gandhi’s utterances speak to the increasing manifestations of violence in the world today.

Kallat’s incorporation of Gandhi’s text aligns Covering Letter with the artist’s sustained interest in engaging history through the actions and words of noteworthy figures. In his “Public Notice” series, the artist staged sculptural and interactive installations that similarly appropriated texts by Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s first prime minister), and Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda. In revisiting these historical documents, Kallat calls attention to the possibilities of peace and tolerance in a world plagued by violence, control, and surveillance.

Covering Letter (2012) is the first work by the artist to enter the Museum’s collection. The exhibition is presented as part of the Museum’s Live Cinema series, which is dedicated to exploring the vast production of contemporary video and film work.

A public opening reception with the artist will be hosted on Saturday, November 12, 7–9pm in the Museum’s Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building.

Support
Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter is made possible by The Pamela and Ajay Raju Foundation.

Curator
Amanda Sroka, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art

Location
Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building, Julien Levy Gallery

About Jitish Kallat
Born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in 1974, Jitish Kallat has produced a diverse body of work, spanning painting, photography, drawing, video, and sculptural installations.

The artist first gained recognition in the United States in 2010–11 with the presentation of Public Notice 3, a large-scale site specific installation that lit up the grand staircase at the Art Institute of Chicago. Kallat’s work has been exhibited in a number of solo and group exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney (2016); Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai (2016); the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne (2012); the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum (2011); the Center for Art and Media (ZKM), Karlsruhe, Germany, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (both 2007); and the Tate Modern, London (2001).

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.