Germany
Dusseldorf
2018
97
English
English, German
In a nutshell
Why should you watch this?
The Raqs Media Collective’s exploration of time as a force shaping human experience offers a profound critique of how society functions under capitalism. Their works challenge traditional notions of time, revealing its role in regulating life and framing historical narratives. By dismantling these fixed interpretations, they invite audiences to rethink the ways time is measured, experienced, and manipulated. In doing so, their practice merges art, history, and philosophy, making their work a compelling reflection on the rhythms that shape our individual and collective existence.
Curator(s)
Beatrice Hilker
Bio
Beatrice Hilker is a German curator and art historian. She was a co-curator of the exhibition Raqs Media Collective. Everything Else is Ordinary, which was showcased at the K21 Museum in Düsseldorf. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Susanne Gaensheimer, focused on the collective’s exploration of themes such as time, space, and history. The K21 exhibition was the first major solo presentation of Raqs Media Collective in Germany, offering deep insights into their multifaceted works and practice.
Artist(s)
Monica Narula
Bio
Monica Narula is an artist and co-founder of Raqs Media Collective, established in 1992 alongside Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. With a background in English Literature and filmmaking, Narula has contributed to Raqs’ expansive, interdisciplinary practice that spans installation, film, sculpture, and curatorial projects. Raqs Media Collective is known for its “kinetic contemplation,” engaging with themes of time, history, and urbanism. Their work has been featured internationally, including at Documenta and the Venice Biennale. They also co-founded Sarai at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, shaping contemporary Indian culture.
Jeebesh Bagchi
Bio
Jeebesh Bagchi is a co-founder of Raqs Media Collective, along with Monica Narula and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. Founded in 1992, Raqs engages in multifaceted creative roles as artists, curators, and cultural provocateurs. They co-founded the Sarai Initiative in 2000 at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, which focuses on media and urbanism. The collective’s work spans installations, video, and photography, addressing themes of time, history, and urban spaces. Their works have been widely exhibited, including at Documenta, the Venice and São Paulo Biennales, and solo shows in major global museums.
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
Bio
Shuddhabrata Sengupta is an artist, writer, and curator, co-founding the Raqs Media Collective in New Delhi with Monica Narula and Jeebesh Bagchi in 1992. Raqs engages in diverse creative practices, including installations, video, photography, and curating, with works exhibited internationally at Documenta, Venice, Istanbul, and São Paulo Biennales, and in museums across New York, Brussels, and Shanghai. They co-founded the Sarai Initiative at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in 2000, fostering research on media and urbanism. Sengupta has been a Keith Haring Fellow at Bard College, and Raqs won the Multitude Art Prize in 2013.