Iftikhar and Elizabeth Dadi
(b. 1971 Pakistan, lives in Ithaca, USA)
Works from the Efflorence series (pictured: Padma and Cocoxochitl)
Neon, bulbs, aluminum, mixed media.
Image Courtesy : Jhaveri Contemporary .
Production and Commission support : Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation ( DBF)
The series currently consists of:
Cocoxochitl – dahlia [Mexico]
Karkadé – hibiscus [Sudan]
Mokran – magnolia [North Korea]
Efflorescence denotes radiance, the blooming of a flower, and the flowering of civilization, but also bears negative valences such as discoloration. This double meaning of the word provides an apt title for this series of large-scale illuminated sculptures of the national flowers of contested regions. Inspired by popular commercial signage, the works jump scale in their materiality and dimension: their industrial artifice acknowledges the manner in which delicate natural forms are deployed as fixed emblems to vindicate intangible claims of identity.