Any art form, irrespective of the medium used, if it moves you, shakes you at your core then undoubtedly that piece of art is a winner. Art is something that knocks you and makes you stand face to face with the truth. Art provokes thought especially in today’s fast-paced world, where people have a proclivity of doing anything other than observing, contemplating and reflecting! Today let me tell you a tale of one such art in the form of sculptures named Old People’s Home by Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu.

Old People’s Home – Art that touches your soul!

Any art form, irrespective of the medium used, if it moves you, shakes you at your core then undoubtedly that piece of art is a winner Click To Tweet Art is something that knocks you and makes you stand face to face with the truth Click To Tweet

 

Before I begin, let me present a short video of the art form. It impacted my mind profoundly.

Explanation of the exhibit

These life-size dummies represent no ordinary men but elderly versions of our world leaders long crippled and impotent. They were once powerful but now they are devoid of power and wheelchair-bound. The eerie creak of their wheelchairs moving around in snail’s pace and colliding with each other at random, their faded clothes (religious robes, military jackets and suites) and utter powerlessness made me reflect deeply at that very instant.


Travel Realizations

I felt, the exhibit Old People’s Home, made us think and rethink that irrespective of power, at a certain stage of life powerlessness is inevitable; the stage where one will be left with nothing but time.

I felt, the exhibit Old People's Home, made us think and rethink that irrespective of power, at a certain stage of life powerlessness is inevitable Click To Tweet
Old People's Home - Art that touches your sou, Travel Realizations, Old People's Home

One of the members of Old People’s Home


Political Perspective

These retired politicians (Muammar Ghadaffi, Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, etc) were on a relentless and illogical collision course for international conflict. The exhibition raises an awareness that those in power must be held accountable for their actions.

These retired politicians (Muammar Ghadaffi, Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, etc) were on a relentless and illogical collision course for international conflict. The exhibition raises an awareness that those in power must be held… Click To Tweet
Old People's Home - Art that touches your sou, Travel Realizations, Old People's Home

A member of Old People’s Home

Kristie Brewer (a commissioning editor at the Guardian), says

My initial reaction is that this is all wickedly funny, it’s a parody of the U.N. and some of its most controversial members. The resemblance to bumper cars at a funfair adds to the ridicule – it’s like some sort of grotesque circus.

Old People's Home - Art that touches your sou, Travel Realizations, Old People's Home

One of the dummies of the Old People’s Home – created by artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu


Chinese Whispers

Old People’s Home was the part of The Chinese Whispers – a joint exhibition by the Kunstmuseum Bern and the Zentrum Paul Klee in Switzerland.

Articles on extraordinary exhibits

If you want to read articles on extraordinary exhibits that make us pause and reflect you may read these.

  1. Defending Human Dignity 
  2. The Broken Chair
  3.  Nudity


Adieu 2017

Memories and experiences of 2017 are archived. Some we can retrieve from the hard drive of our computers and some from our heart. Things that struck a chord with our heart are our experiences from which we learn and grow. I wish you all a happy 2018. Spend the year ahead in such a way that the retrieval time of your experiences is next to negligible. You got it right. Strive to keep your days in your heart and not just inside the bank.

Strive to keep your days in your heart and not just inside the bank Click To Tweet


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Old People's Home by Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu left an indelible mark on my mind. It gives a different perspective to old age. #Travel #Art #Exhibition #Switzerland #Travelblog #museum

Old People's Home by Chinese artists Sun Yuan and Peng Yu left an indelible mark on my mind. It gives a different perspective to old age. #Travel #Art #Exhibition #Switzerland #Travelblog #museum

Chirasree Banerjee

Hello. My name is Chirasree. I have been traveling for almost 11 years to places all over the world. I enter into a separate reality during my travels and enjoy the allure of escape from the mundane. I seek beauty through nature and human-made creations. Because beauty is powerful. I seek knowledge. I observe, absorb, and write about the places I visit and the profound realizations and inspirations that each place has to offer.