Salvador Dali’s ‘Cosmic Rhinoceros’ at Phoenix Palladium
Continuing the enriching trend of art installations in its vast spaces within its shopping centers, Phoenix Palladium introduced a remarkable addition to its collection of iconic art – Salvador Dalí’s bronze sculpture, ‘Cosmic Rhinoceros’. Dalí, one of the 20th century’s most iconic surrealist artists created this sculpture in 1958, measuring an impressive 158.6 x 81 x 25.5 inches in size. Salvador Dalí’s “Cosmic Rhinoceros” exemplifies the unique fusion of fantasy and science, his deep interest in the interplay between art, mathematics, and the cosmos. The rhinoceros, often explored by Dalí, symbolizes his fascination with natural geometric patterns, particularly the logarithmic spirals of the rhinoceros’ horn. The sculpture was officially unveiled by Gayatri Ruia, Director at Phoenix Palladium, whose love of art reflects in all the Phoenix malls across the country. Her husband Atul Ruia, Chairman at The Phoenix Mills Ltd was also present at the event, along with renowned art collector and philanthropist Shalini Passi, founder of MASH & SPAF, and other distinguished guests from the art world.
Sanjay Passi, Atul Ruia, Shalini Passi, Gayatri Ruia at Phoenix Palladium
We posed a few questions to the lady responsible for the integration of art into the identity of Phoenix Palladium, Gayatri Ruia, Director.
Q – What is the process of selecting a work of art for Phoenix Malls? Are you involved in it?
Gayatri Ruia – Yes, Atul and I love art, and are both very personally involved. We are very meticulous, and often take a lot of time to select something. We try, when possible, to talk with the artists. Over the years, Phoenix malls, which are typically large formats spread over millions of square feet, have evolved into destinations where friends and families gather, offering a beautiful blend of shopping, dining, live events and shows. So often the installations needed are large and imposing. For example, a fabulous, huge Thukral & Tagra work is displayed in our Chennai mall. Very exciting, very imposing, but large art installations especially take a lot of time to install. There are structural elements, there is maintenance. So, it does become a process. Dali’s iconic Cosmic Rhinoceros that we have just introduced at Phoenix Palladium was imported, so there were many formalities and legalities as well attached to this project. But yes, I am very involved, personally and want to enjoy every moment of the process for myself.
Gayatri Ruia at Dali unveiling at Phoenix Palladium
Q – Is Dali a personal favorite?
GR: Yes. The Cosmic Rhinoceros for my husband, Atul and me, just seemed like a natural fit. This rhinoceros is very rooted in its nature, but Dali’s surreal vision alters it in a way that makes the expression more beautiful and elegant, with perfect mathematical proportions. So, one leg in the past, and the other moving towards the future. And I think that’s also an analogy for how our country India and its people also are today. And its a beautiful expression of what we try to do in our malls as well – we want to celebrate the classic, but we definitely want to adopt new things and look forward as well.
Q – Last year another sculptor of Salvador Dali (Horse Saddled with Time) was unveiled at the Phoenix Mall Ahmedabad. Is this (Salvador Dalí’s Cosmic Rhinoceros) the second Dali artwork at Phoenix Mall?
GR: That’s another stunning piece of work. Yes, we have this fabulous “Horse Saddled with Time”, Dali’s iconic melted timepiece on its back in Ahmedabad’s Palladium Mall. Personally, I have always loved Salvador Dali’s work and haven’t lost a chance to go to any museum that displays it anywhere in the world. And it’s like a dream come true that we are able to bring this quality of art to India and be able to display them in our malls. It’s almost a surreal experience for me! To infuse our malls with that whole dream-like quality of Dali’s works, and having our customers enjoy these works is truly like a dream come true for me.
Salvador Dali‘s ‘Horse Saddled with Time’ at the Palladium, Ahmedabad
Q – Phoenix Mall has works of Indian artists like Valay Shende, Veer Munshi. Will we see more international artists’ works along with Dali?
GR: I think the idea in our malls is to create an environment or an art program which truly reflects our customer today. We are looking forward to it. We are learning about international brands. We buy international brands. But we very much are also learning to respect our own roots and culture more than ever before. And I think this blend will reflect in the art curation in our malls. Some international works, but definitely a lot of Indian artists as well will be displayed here.
Q – Are all the art works displayed at the various Phoenix Malls acquired or on rotation or loan?
GR: A lot of the artwork now is owned by us, which gives us a little more freedom in rotating it between the malls or taking it to different cities. But a lot of it is also on loan. Art, especially installations of scale, do become very expensive and ambitious projects. And we have some wonderful galleries and other passionate art curators who have collaborated with us and continue to do so.
It was equally important to get the views of the art aficionado Shalini Passi, who was there to support her friend Gayatri Ruia and express her admiration for the initiative.
Shalini Passi at Phoenix Palladium
Q – As an art collector and connoisseur, please give your views about rules for selecting artwork for display in public spaces. Are you an advocate of this?
Shalini Passi – Selecting artworks for public display are that it has to be meaningful. Of course, that’s the most important thing. The subject of the artwork should be able to somehow relate, challenge, and be with the audience that it is placed among. The work also has to be aspirational, whether we are talking about women’s upliftment or we’re talking about urban life. I honestly feel that public spaces, the artwork, should be uplifting because I think that is really the need of the hour. Of course, we have to take into account the weather conditions and the maintenance of the artwork, which is often overlooked. And of course, in the evening, lighting is extremely important. Enough space for the viewer to move around and view the work.
Also, it is fantastic how Gayatri, a very dear friend, has placed important works across the public spaces she curates. A significant artwork like The Cosmic Rhinoceros, displayed in a commercial space such as Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai, will have a great impact, there will be a lot of dialogue around this piece because it is a very powerful work of art.
Q – What is your take on artwork like Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ (banana duct-taped to the wall)? It is going up for a Sotheby’s auction again in a few days. Would you bid for it?
SP- I’m not a fan of this work, but I do understand that it has caught people’s imaginations across the world. And now, of course, it was auctioned at Sotheby’s, but I’m not a fan of it. And I would not bid for it.
Q – One needs more art in public spaces. Are you an advocate of this? Is your foundation involved in any related initiatives?
SP: Of course we need art in public spaces, and it is very important for the general viewer to experience art. It’s often not that easy because we also have to work with the local bodies to get permission, and sometimes a certain art piece might not relate to a certain community, so there are so many things to look into. Yes, we have participated in many initiatives where we have supported various institutions like ‘Khoj’ and Kochi Biennale, and we continue to do so.
Phoenix Palladium’s Journey of Artistic Innovation has showcased exquisite metal art by Valay Shende to works by artists acquired by Phoenix malls over the years including Thukral & Tagra, Ravinder Reddy, and William Kentridge, along with breath taking seasonal décor, the mall has continually redefined its space as one where retail and artistic expression converge.
