Rajkamal Kahlon: Which Side Are You On? An Exhibition on Power & Visual Regimes at Kunsthalle Wien

This exhibition showcases over two decades of Rajkamal Kahlon's work, focusing on her exploration of power dynamics and visual regimes. Kahlon critically alters colonial-era imagery, using painting as a form of care and resistance to challenge 'Othering' and confront historical violence with beauty and sensuality.

"Which Side Are You On?" features a selection of works spanning over twenty years of Rajkamal Kahlon's artistic practice, alongside new commissions created specifically for Kunsthalle Wien. Kahlon's work delves into the intricate relationship between power and visual representation, scrutinizing narratives that are often presented as objective but deeply shape our collective imagination. Each piece is rooted in stories derived from books, documents, or archival research, particularly those from the colonial era laden with patronizing stereotypes and dubious scientific justifications for imperial expansion. In her artistic process, Kahlon radically transforms these colonial images, enabling her subjects to reclaim their individuality and dignity. She views painting not as a luxury good, but as "a form of care work—done in the service and from a sense of responsibility and care toward others." Through this practice, drawing and painting become powerful sites of political and aesthetic resistance, confronting the violence embedded in colonial and ethnographic imagery with elements of beauty, humor, sensuality, and seduction. The exhibition's title, "Which Side Are You On?", directly prompts visitors to reflect on their complicity in the processes of "Othering" and the injustices surrounding them, urging a confrontation with how they are implicated in the world's violence and inequity.

Information regarding museum admission and potential ticketing for specific exhibitions may be available through the Kunsthalle Wien website or at the venue. Visitors are encouraged to check the official website for the most current details on access and booking.