What is Jasleen Kaur’s installation at Turner Prize 2024 about?

Tate Britain, 24 September 2024 — What we will remember from the Turner Prize this year is Jasleen Kaur’s menacingly funny installation which mixes cultural history, music and bright imagery. Charged with the energy of her Sikh background and upbringing in Glasgow, her work has a lively bravado that contrasts with what is usually seen at this exclusive art fair.

A Red Ford Escort: The Star of the Show

At the centre of Kaur’s installation is a bold red Ford Escort covered in an enormous crochet cotton doily. Hence, why this car resonates with her as more than just a throwback vehicle; it genuinely represents who she is and where she comes from- literally. You can hear this mix of pop, hip-hop and qawwali devotional songs blaring from its sound system: an eclectic attestation to the fusion of influences Kaur has been exposed to in her time growing up around Paisley.

The car is reduced to a laughable, but talismanic symbol of multicultural Britain. In one sense it is the perfect combination of the everyday with the extraordinary, a laugh out loud moment for those who could not resist taking such a photo but in another deeper sense an interesting lesson in how easily one can blur lines between modern and traditional worlds.

A Canopy of Culture: Bottles of Irn-Bru and Prayer Beads

A translucent canopy is held aloft above the car, inspired by a buffet of items that reflect Kaur’s diverse international heritage. There are bottles of Irn-Bru, hi-vis return gate clothing, scarves, clumps of hair Scottish pound notes and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan CDs hanging in the air. And the glow-in-the-dark prayer beads would be juxtaposed against this ethereal tableau of memory and meaning, constantly in motion.

This canopy hovers over a sprawling Axminster carpet that covers the floor of the gallery. Guests are ushered to take a seat and soak in the sounds and sights as if they were floating through a trance-like daydream. And Kaur wants all of us to be more than just spectators; her texture, humor brings the space alive.

Cultural Memories and Complex Narratives

Central to Kaur’s work is a strong identification with her upbringing and the varied stories of her Sikh family in Glasgow. She has her own memories of accompanying her dad on his early morning rounds at various hardware shops and cash-and-carry warehouses where he worked, lending the installation a feeling of being rooted in an actual past. But again, the work is hardly an exercise in nostalgia— it mines present-day currency and uses humor and absurdity to bust open stereotypes and question attachments.

The installation also includes photos of Sikhs and Muslims praying together, as well as a demonstration around an immigration enforcement van in a Glasgow street. These instances of unity and resistance mirror Kaur’s common theme of community as well as identity, albeit uppercut after uppercut from the pulsating music (here representing a ceaseless culture clash in contemporary life).

Humor and Texture in Every Detail

That complexity of visuals and richness of sounds come into play in Kaur’s playful installation. The piece is a full sensorial experience, with bottles of Irn-Bru and tinkling bells on wooden fingers (and even the occasional breathy wheeze of a mechanically operated harmonium). Her voice drifts in the air, singing, animating a contrasting layer of this complex work.

The humour, the complexity and the cultural richness of Kaur’s red Ford Escort installation not only make it one of the highlights of this year’s Turner Prize exhibition but also a statement on identity, heritage and modernity. With laughter on their lips and thoughts ignited – an unforgettable encounter at Tate Britain.

In a particularly strong field of talent on show, Jasleen Kaur’s colourful, intellectual installation is one of the most crowd-friendly and fondly recalled moments from the esteemed 2024 Turner Prize exhibition.

Feature Image: Alter Altar by Jasleen Kaur, who has been shortlisted for 2024’s Turner Prize. Courtesy: Tate Britain/PA

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