Cosmic Garden
Dior, Chanakya, and the couple Madhvi and Manu Parekh continue their collaboration from the Dior spring-summer 2022 haute couture collection. Presented by the Chanakya Foundation, Cosmic Garden debuts at the Biennale Arte 2024.
The exhibition showcases paintings and sculptures by Indian artists Madhvi Parekh and Manu Parekh. Additionally, it presents a series of new works developed in collaboration with Karishma Swali and graduates from the Chanakya School of Craft.
“We are deeply honored that Cosmic Garden has been selected as a collateral event of the 60 th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia. The Chanakya School of Craft was a dream shared with Maria Grazia Chiuri to conserve artisanal heritage. We believed the power of craft could uplift communities, and this exhibition is an evolution that stems from my 25-year dialogue with Maria Grazia Chiuri to blur assumed hierarchies within fine art“ (Karishma Swali, Creative Director of the Chanakya School of Craft).
Cosmic Garden is conceived as an artistic narrative tracing fertile exchanges rooted in craft from the late 1970s to the present day.
The Chanakya workshops and School of Craft have introduced a new vocabulary through a collective, interdisciplinary approach. Their magnificent mixed media works employ up to 32 handcraft techniques, each taking up to 16,000 hours to realize. Composed of organic materials such as linen, jute, silk and cotton, the resulting pieces transcend the boundaries between art and craft.
Madhvi and Manu Parekh’s artistic oeuvre, while stylistically distinct, is deeply intertwined with the spiritual heritage of their country. Their work reflects a profound cultural connection to India’s spiritual traditions. In Madhvi Parekh’s paintings, the real and the imaginary intertwine to produce a fantastic world, populated by figures from the Vedic pantheon. In his artistic practice, Manu Parekh employs the canvas as a diaphragm, expressing his inner landscapes. His abstract illustrations draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of the Indian esoteric tradition.
Presented by the Chanakya Foundation at the Salone Verde – Art & Social Club, located in the historic Rialto district, this poetic rendezvous supported by the House of Dior and curated by Maria Alicata and Paola Ugolini, celebrates the emergence of a new artistic language, in tribute to feminine power, with its transforming energy.
Cosmic Garden , Madhvi Parekh, Manu Parekh, Karishma Swali, from April 20 to November 24, 2024, 10 am to 6 pm, Salone Verde – Art & Social Club.
Stranieri ovunque – foreigners everywhere
Ever since it was founded in 1946, the House of Dior has never ceased forging passionate ties with the arts. Eternal affinities are fostered by the founding-couturier, whose passion for architecture defined him as both a gallery owner and an aesthete. He remains a loyal friend to the greatest talents of the 20th century, embodying a collector’s spirit throughout his life.
Dior continues to demonstrate its unwavering devotion by reaffirming its support as an official donor for the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. This year, the exhibition is curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, marking another chapter in Dior’s ongoing commitment to the arts.
Titled ‘Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere – after a series by the Claire Fontaine collective, this 60th edition of the exhibition seeks to confront various perspectives. It offers a diverse and thoughtful exploration of identity, migration, exile, and belonging, spanning from territory to border. A fabulous exploration bringing together the work of 331 artists of more than 80 different nationalities.
Dior underscores its dedication to the arts in all their manifestations through sponsorship of various projects at this globally inclusive event. These initiatives shine a spotlight on contemporary creativity, showcasing its brilliance and boldness. The House will thus extend the deeply inspiring alliance, deployed for Dior since 2020, between Maria Grazia Chiuri and the Claire Fontaine collective. For this event, the latter will unveil a masterful installation comprising sixty neon lights beneath the iconic Gaggiandre arcades of the Venice Arsenale. Additionally, two more installations will be situated at the entrance of the central Giardini pavilion and within the Arsenale general exhibition area.
This event further emphasizes Dior’s enduring fascination with India, particularly showcased in the Cosmic Garden exhibition. The exhibition, initially unveiled during the Dior Fall 2023 show in Mumbai, captures the essence of this enduring relationship.
The House pursues its inventive dialogue with Eva Jospin, through the Selva exhibition. It also invites the public to (re)discover her oneiric landscapes that invest the Museo Fortuny.
Lastly , in keeping with its convictions and actions to promote and preserve the patrimony of Venice, the House of Dior will, for the third consecutive time, partner the charity ball given by the Venetian Heritage Foundation on April 20, 2024.
Like a hymn to dreams and the imagination, these spellbinding encounters exalt the beauty of creation and the ever-reinterpreted connections between Dior and Italy . A unique experience to be enjoyed, during the Biennale, in Venice from April 20 to November 24, 2024 (and from April 17, in preview).
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