Gallery & temple
Sikkimese Lepcha girls dressed in the traditional Bakhu with Buddhist scriptures resting on their shoulders
Issue 37 of Garland will feature the gallery and temple.
How can we make a space that is separate from everyday life where we can come together to reflect on life and the world?
TEMPLE is separated from everyday life for the purposes of reflection and worship. It includes both works made for religious buildings (temples, mosques and churches) as well as stories about art galleries that facilitate contemplation in innovative ways.
This issue reflects the rich creative life emerging from diasporic communities that are working together to make spaces of beauty and meaning.
The stories can include:
- Different models of a gallery space
- Works made for temples, shrines, mosques and churches
This issue will be published on 1 December 2024. You can find guidelines for submitting a story here. The deadline for stories is 1 November 2024. Please let us know in advance of your idea here.
The guest editor is Pamela See.
Some temple stories already in Garland:
Joss House artifacts: Rediscovering Australia’s Chinese temples - Michael Williams uncovers a rich material heritage from communal buildings used by Chinese migrants.
How ancestors guide our journeys - Tiffany Singh writes about her installations and performance that draw on spiritual and collective energies.
The sacred and the spectacular: how Bengal’s Durga Puja pandals morph into temporary art galleries - Aishani Gupta from MAP Academy reports on one of the world's great artistic events, held on the streets of Kolkata, for the eyes of the gods.
Gateways to the soul in Indian art and craft - Kruti Dholakia calls her teacher Reena Bhatia to talk about work inspired by devotion to Lord Krishna.
Makers’ Tale: Craft, light and sound in a sacred space - Loucia Manopoulou writes about an exhibition of contemporary craft in Salisbury Cathedral.
The new Majapahit art: craft or artefact? - Tod Jones argues for the importance of craft produced today in heritage sites, particularly the ancient centre of the Hindu empire in Indonesia.
A temple without walls - David Cheah works with the monks of the Lao temple Wat Siphoutthabaht to produce an outdoor installation for the festival of Boun Ok Phansa.
Beyond the facades: Temple wood carving of Himachal Pradesh - Lalita Waldia celebrates temple carvers who work intuitively, in order to serve the deity.
Kalighat Temple: A terracotta revival - Tamal Bhattacharya reflects on his work restoring the terracotta tiles of an ancient Bengali temple.
Messages in rice: From table to grave - Angela Sim explains the significance of the Teochew ritual of rice drawing that is still practised in Singapore temples.
Urmila Mohan on The Jugaad Project - This podcast interview reflects the role that anthropologists of material culture can play in supporting a diversity of beliefs and practices.
The sacred garden: A photo essay of worship through flowers - Prerana Chandak shares images of the flowers that play an important role in her Hindu faith and practice.
Lotus blooms and divine blessings: A spiritual journey through fragrance and festivity - Japneet Keith recounts the floral scents associated with the deities invoked in Durga Puja.
Roof top alchemy: Gilding statues in Nepal - Gary Wornell visits a legendary Nepalese gilder and witnesses the mysterious alchemy that turns idols golden.
Silk thangka: An unbroken thread - Gary Wornell journeys to the Pullahari Gumba Monastery hoping to find Nurbu, whose life is dedicated to the tradition of sacred Buddhist imagery in luscious silk.
Saga Dawa: The blessing of the scriptures - Shruti Agrawal fulfils her father-in-law’s dream to visit the fabled Himalayan town of Gangtok, where she witnesses a remarkable Buddhist rite that brings life to sacred wisdom.
Shaping the divine in the lanes of Kumartuli - Ananya Hazarika ventures into the lanes of Kumartuli in West Bengal to witness the creation of gods from clay.
Banten jerimpen: An offering to reach the universe - Local authority Mas Ruscita offers a Balinese perspective on Banten Jerimpen, the diving offering that reaches to the sky and a reflection on the unique attitude of nakmulaketo (“As it is”).