Art Now: Hylozoic/Desires

Interesting exhibition at Tate Britain featuring a video installation by Hylozoic/Desires.

Hylozoic/Desires are two artists Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser and in this work they examine the legacy of the Salt Line, a planted hedge grown by the British Empire in the Indian subcontinent between 1840 and 1880 which separated the British-occupied Bengal Presidency from independent states to prevent smuggling and enforce the British monopoly on salt.

The work consisted of a video, interesting display on the floor, which you viewed from a platform, alongside a piece of scenery used in the video. It was beautifully filmed and blended archive material and an imagined narrative.

I had seen another work on the same theme by these artists at Somerset House earlier this year so this added to that experience.

Closed 25 August 2025


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