Raqs Media Collective (* 1992, by Monica Narula, Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta). The word “raqs” in several languages denotes an intensification of awareness and presence attained by whirling, turning, being in a state of revolution. Raqs take this sense to mean ‘kinetic contemplation’ and a restless and energetic entanglement with the world, and with time. Raqs practices across several media; making installation, sculpture, video, performance, text, lexica, and curation. Their work finds them at the intersection of contemporary art, philosophical speculation and historical enquiry.
Raqs has exhibited widely, including at Documenta, the Venice, Istanbul, Taipei, Liverpool, Shanghai, Sydney and Sao Paulo Biennales. Some solo exhibitions (and projects) include The Bicyclist who Fell into a Timecone, Cosmic House, London (2023), The Laughter of Tears at the Kunstverein Braunschweig (2021), Pamphilos at Fast Forward Festival 6, Athens (2019); Still More World at Mathaf Museum of Modern Art, Doha (2019); Twilight Language at Manchester Art Gallery (2017-2018); Everything Else is Ordinary at K21 Museum for 21st Century Art, Dusseldorf (2018); If It’s Possible, It’s Possible, MUAC, Mexico City (2015) and Untimely Calendar at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi (2014-2015). Exhibitions curated by Raqs include Afterglow, Yokohama Triennale 2020, In The Open or in Stealth (MACBA, Barcelona 2018 – 2019); Why Not Ask Again (Shanghai Biennale 2016-2017); INSERT2014 (New Delhi, 2014) and The Rest of Now & Scenarios (Manifesta 7, Bolzano, 2008). Raqs intervened in the collections of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna with Hungry for Time - an invitation to epistemic disobedience - in 2021, they were finalists for the design competition for the 22nd July National Memorial in Oslo, Norway (2024) and most recently their exhibition Cavalcade has opened at the Neubauer Collegium, Chicago (2025).