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User:Nisreen Almalek-Qatar/Gandhi's Three Monkeys

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Gandhi’s Three Monkeysis a work of art created by Indian artist Subodh Gupta and composed of three sculptures portraying three heads in military headgear. The sculptures refer to India’s famous hero of peace, Mahatma Ghandi, and are based on the pictorial maxim “Three wise monkeys”, which in turn refers to the principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"[1]


Design

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The three sculptures are created using stainless steel cooking utensils, pails, tiffin boxes, and glass bowls.[2] One of the heads has a gas mask, the other one a helmet and a pair of glasses, and the third one a hood.[3]

Philosophy

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The sculptures refer to Gupta's juxtapositions of war and peace, public and private, global and local, which themes that run throughout his work.[4] The historical meaning of the sculptures is derived from Mahatma Gandhi’s maxim of the three monkeys, which means “See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil”. This maxim emerged in Japan in the 17th century and was later adopted worldwide as a message of peace and tolerance, and represented by three monkeys, with one of them covering his eyes, the second his mouth and the third his ears.[5]

Gupta’s sculptures are a tribute to Ghandi, who, according to the artist, represents these three monkeys in his peaceful fight against colonialism, oppression and injustice.[6]

Location

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sculptures were installed permanently in Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Katara.[7]
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See also

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Subodh Gupta [1] Qatar Museum Authority [2] Qatar Museums Authority Public Art [link to grouping page]

References

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