Kali (I'm a Mess)
Date2020
Maker
Chila Kumari Burman
Punjabi, British, born 1957
Label TextFor over thirty years, Burman has used a variety of mixed media to advocate for female empowerment, racial equity, and her Punjabi heritage, continuously mining the image of Kali in both her lyrics and visual pieces. Kali (I’m a Mess) was a small part of Burman’s recent installation titled Remembering A Brave New World, superimposed over the Tate Britain’s entrance.
Perched atop the building’s pediment, the Hindu goddess of destruction and protection obfuscated the statue of Britannia. The text above Kali reads, “I'm a Mess,” a message usually not associated with Kali. Burman takes Kali seriously as a potent symbol of liberation and rebellion and uses this text to speak to political and social concerns that occurred in 2020. The name of Kali is the feminine form of Kala, translatable as time. Can Kali drive time forward into a brave new world where we are no longer a mess?
Object number2021.25
ProvenanceThe artist; purchased from artist by Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2021
Exhibition HistoryLondon, England, Tate Britain, remembering a brave new world, Nov. 14, 2020 - Feb. 28, 2021.Credit LineRichard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Acquisition Fund for Global and Contemporary Art
Dimensions137 13/16 x 70 7/8 x 1 3/16 in. (180 x 35 x 3 cm)
Medium6mm 12v silicone LED neon, galvanized weld mesh, 12v switch mode transformers, IP67 plastic box
log in
