Wednesday, 18 November 2015

New Delhi, November 18, 2015: The British Council today unveils The White Horse (2013), a sculpture by Turner Prize winning artist Mark Wallinger at the iconic British Council headquarters building in Delhi. The horse made of marble and resin is a life-size representation of a thoroughbred racehorse created using state of the art technology.  India is the first overseas destination for this iconic sculpture commissioned by the British Council, London. It will be on view on the front lawns of the British Council Delhi for the next 3 years.

The installation illustrates Wallinger’s continuing fascination with the horse, and its emblematic status in British national history. It relates to the ancient history of hillside depictions of white horses in England but the pose is familiar from current depictions of thoroughbred stallions and has been replicated throughout the history of art from Stubbs’ painting of Eclipse to Wallinger’s own paintings of stallions from the Darley Stud.

Rob Lynes, Director, British Council India, says, “The British Council is an organization that supports world class artistic talent, showcasing creativity to art- lovers, across the world. The architect of out Delhi building creator Charles Correa intended the building to be a showcase of transition in Indian history. A captivating an enthralling installation such as the “White Horse” by Mark Wallinger will add to the allure of our great building.”

He continued, “We are delighted that the British Prime Minister David Cameron along with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Thursday announced 2017 as the UK-India Year of Culture to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Indian independence. The Year of Culture 2017 will see an exciting festival of events celebrating the vibrant cultural history of the two countries, when top UK institutions will partner Indian counterparts. Both countries some of the best cultural exports in the world – and this is the right time to celebrate this, together. To mark this we will be opening up a new place on our front lawns, opposite The White Horse which will showcase works by Indian artists, the equivalent of Trafalgar square’s fourth plinth”

The unveiling of the sculpture is part of British Council’s arts and culture initiative, Re-Imagine Arts that aims at building creative connections in new ways between the people of the UK and India. The focus in India on Re-imagine Arts involves designing and delivering programmes which update perceptions of the two countries in the 21st century. A significant part of the British Council's work in the arts connects the UK’s arts sector with professionals in India.

The British Council headquarter in India, in New Delhi, is an iconic building. The master piece designed by the noted Charles Correa, has within it elements that represent Indian history; the Contemporary, the Raj, the Mughal and the Hindu. The sculpture by Mark Wallinger will stand on the lawns of the British Council for the next three years representing the British art and history.

About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.The British Council was established in India in 1948. The British Council is recognised across India for its network of 9 libraries and cultural centres. We offer a range of specialised projects in arts, education, exams, English language and society to audiences across India and more than 100,000 members. We also provide access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers, offer UK qualifications in India and enable opportunities to study in the UK.
For information on our work in India, please visit www.britishcouncil.in
For media queries contact:
Aditi Hindwan | Head – Press and Media, India |
British Council Division |
British High Commission | 17, Kasturba Gandhi Marg | New Delhi – 110001 | India |
T +00 91 11 42199000 | D + 00 91 11 41497477 | F +00 91 11 23357709 | M + 00 91 0 8377001450
E aditi.hindwan@in.britishcouncil.org