20/Sep/24 To 19/Jan/25
What does desire sound like, and what might it look like if it took human form? What message lies in the call of a peacock? What fragrance drifts from a blossoming tree beneath which a young woman plays the lute?
These questions lie at the heart of the extraordinary exhibition at Museum Rietberg, dedicated to Ragamala — a jewel of Indian miniature painting where music, poetry, and visual art merge into a single sensory experience.
From the 15th century onward, artists at Indian royal courts began giving visual form to music. Melodies associated with specific moods were personified as human figures, inspired by poetic verses that speak of love, longing, melancholy, and desire.
The exhibition presented around fifty exceptional Ragamala paintings from the museum’s collection, complemented by works from contemporary miniature painters. Visitors were invited to experience the stories through a rich interplay of image, music, poetry, and fragrance. Newly composed music, curated scents, and film installations allowed audiences to immerse themselves fully in the world of Ragamala, where sound and image blend into an extraordinary sensory journey. The exciting catalogue containing the music playlist can be sourced in the Media-Print section.
A special highlight of the exhibition was the cross-border collaboration between painters Murad Khan Mumtaz (USA-based Pakistani artist) and Manish Soni (Rajasthan-based Indian artist), alongside filmmakers Jawad Sharif (Pakistan) and Harsha Vinay (India). These films can be viewed in the Media-Film section.
The exhibition emerged from the Ragamala Project, developed as part of a GBF research project.
