Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s “Remembering a Brave New World”
Chula Kumali Singh Burman’s installation on the facade of TATE Britain is the 4th in a series of yearly pieces that light up the Thames just in time for the holidays. Burman’s installation, however, looks unlike any of the other previous installations we’ve seen. Burman’s piece was clearly not made for Christmas. Chock full of color, personality, and pride, this installation was made for Diwali, and if Burman has any say, she won’t let you forget that. Burman was a major contributor to the British art scene in the 1980s. One monograph, an honorary doctorate, and 4 decades later, Burman is still at work in her East London studio, marrying together her Punjabi and British heritage in the form of lithographs, paintings, sculpture, anything you can think of, really. Her colorful, pop-art like style is a distinctive feature of her work, and this piece is no different.
Burman’s installation is centered around the titular words “Remembering a Brave New World” in neon magenta bubble letters. Branching out from that in every direction is a collage of small symbols and phrases that seem integral to Burman’s identity and her perception of it. On the top of the museum, are the phrases “Love Shine Light” and “Aim Dream Truth” at the apex of the building, we see the words “I’m a mess.” To go into the significance of each aspect of this installation would take the artist herself days. However, one aspect that is important to touch on, is the multicolored figure on the bottom right corner of the installation.
Fist raised in the air, with the words “without us there is no Britain.” Burman’s work has often focused on feminism, social inequalities, and her Punjabi heritage. Here we see all these elements come together. However, whether this installation is successful in conveying anything more than that remains to be seen. Burman’s use of symbols and the words ‘without us there is no Britain’ would insinuate that she wants the general public to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of Punjabi and other marginalized cultures on Britain when looking at this piece. However, the setting of this piece at times seems at odds with the message.
As I was standing outside TATE Britain, gazing upon Burman’s work, the people around me seemed to be treating it as any other display of festive lights in the city. One woman with a ring light setup was unboxing her No7 advent calendar, using Burman’s piece as a backdrop. 10 minutes later, a family of four stepped out of a taxi in matching silky Christmas pajamas, took a family photo in front of the installation, and then got back in and drove away. Burman is clearly trying to make a statement, but any reflection in the piece is potentially lost in the fanfare and colorful displays of Diwali, entangled with expectations Brits have of holiday lights being nothing other than a celebration of the season. This piece is a beautiful tribute to a culture so vital to Britain yet is often overlooked. However, asking the general public to think and analyze beyond the facade is Sisyphean. Influencers take pictures in front of it, London travel Instagrams include it in their posts, Diwali is being acknowledged and celebrated, but any further introspection doesn’t seem to be what the people want, so they pretend it isn’t there. They zoom out their photos, and show the piece as a whole, what it is from afar. Pretty lights for the holiday season.
Or perhaps that’s why Burman is so successful in her craft, she mixes the political with the popular. Forcing people to consume and enjoy content before they have a chance to realize what it’s actually saying and are therefore forced to confront themselves and their reactions once realization dawns. This is undoubtedly a Diwali piece, with the colorful lights and Hindi symbols, and Burman doesn’t want one looking at the piece and forgetting who made it and who it’s for. Her use of ‘us’ shows that her audience for this work is separate, or has been separated from the society they live in. She others those who have othered her in the past, and here she's trying to remind them just how important those others are to the society and culture of Britain today. Either way, it is undeniable that this installation is a natural and lovely continuation of her career for those who follow her. And those just being introduced will be left with a lovely first impression.