Sonya Rapoport, Digital Mudra. Installation View at Bibeau Krueger, New York, 2024. Courtesy Estate of Sonya Rapoport. Photo credit: Michael Popp.
An insightful review of “Sonya Rapoport: Digital Mudra” at Bibeau Krueger gallery, NY, was published by Tussle Magazine. Critic Logan Royce Beitmen observes that the work “exhibits a compelling mix of scholarly sincerity and deadpan wit.” The article explores Rapoport’s process and provides essential biographical information. Beitmen also brings a deep knowledge about Indian cultural traditions to bear on the project, expanding its contemporary relevance in a way that Rapoport, who was always updating her projects, would have found exciting:
“Mudras are symbolic gestures with an ancient pedigree in South Asia. Those familiar with Buddhist art may know the abhaya (“no fear”) mudra, an outward-facing palm communicating benevolence. And if you saw the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, you may remember the rapper M.I.A. raising two middle fingers to the camera, for which the NFL later sued her for $16.6 million. M.I.A. told reporters that what she had performed was a “godly” mudra associated with her namesake, the goddess Matangi. “Of course, the NFL is not believing that,” she said, “because the NFL does not believe in any other culture outside of the NFL.” To be fair, the rapper probably intended the gesture to carry multiple meanings, but the incident reveals the thorny nature of interpreting mudras cross-culturally.”
Sonya Rapoport: Digital Mudra is on view at Bibeau Krueger through May 4th.
373 Broadway C09
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