‘Whorled (Here After Here After Here)’ by Jitish Kallat on display at Somerset House in London. Photography: David Parry PA
‘Whorled (Here After Here After Here)’ by Jitish Kallat on display at Somerset House in London. Photography: David Parry PA
‘Whorled (Here After Here After Here)’ by Jitish Kallat on display at Somerset House in London. Photography: David Parry PA
‘Whorled (Here After Here After Here)’ by Jitish Kallat on display at Somerset House in London. Photography: David Parry PA
A ‘galactic whorl’ has appeared in the neoclassical courtyard of London’s Somerset House – a spiralling outdoor installation by Indian artist Jitish Kallat.
Whorled (Here After Here After Here) is Kallat’s first UK public commission, and its interlocking form comprises two intersecting spirals that each span 168 metres in length. The colossal artwork is inspired by a seismic ripple or galactic whorl, with the piece aligned along Earth’s cardinal north-south axis and its spirals rolling outwards from the courtyard’s centre, some 30 metres in diameter.
The installation picks up recurrent themes in Kallat’s work, layering ideas about past and present, earthly and cosmic, sacred geometries, alchemy and geography. Kallat has also imbued it with its own visual language, inspired by UK road signs – with a playful twist. Some signs indicate distances between Somerset House and cities across the country, while others point to locations across the planet, the solar system and the milky way.
‘Whorled (Here After Here After Here)’ runs until 23 April 2023 at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA, UK
