RAJAT SODHI | KHÔRAL

Pulp Society is very excited to present Khôral by Rajat Sodhi and Christoph Klemmt of Orproject. The exhibition is on view at B-247, Okhla Phase 1 in New Delhi from 14 April through 21 May, 2023.

Khôral: Khôra (Khora or Chora; ancient Greek) is a philosophical term described by Plato in Timaeus as a receptacle, a space, or an interval. It is neither a being, nor a non-being, but an interval in which the forms were originally held.

Sodhi and Klemmt’s practice at Orproject uses computational design to invent architectural structures and immersive installations. By looking at how nature creates diverse forms and convivial habitats, they encode this chaos and seemingly random behaviours into algorithms to computationally bio-mimic and grow similar forms, structures and spaces.

During the pandemic induced lockdowns, when one was forced to explore lone living, Sodhi and Klemmt looked at another world under the sea for inspiration. Thus came Khôral, an algorithmic simulation of coral growth. Khôral is a breathing sculptural installation inspired by marine life that interacts with visitors to draw their attention to the impending catastrophe awaiting our coral reefs. The installation is a composition in three paper sculptures collectively assembled from flat laser-cut strips which bend to shape as they are serially connected to each other through adhesive flap joints. Equipped with a customised lighting system, the three forms breathe through their colours, blooming and fading in closely syncopated rhythms.

As a gallery that explores paper-based practices; we are keen to show not just sculptural works made of paper, but also works that explore a deeper conceptual relationship between ecology and us. The show will also have on display photographic works of Khôral by  Suryan and Dang.

"Paper is a reusable, biodegradable and renewable resource. By precision cutting and bending it, we can create beautiful forms that are both delicate and structurally strong at the same time. We also extend our learning from the paper installation to recycle aluminium to see how we can build with aluminium parts, bend them and connect them without using any screws or adding extra materials. For our next installation, we hope to take our ideas further." - Rajat Sodhi