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COSMOS/MEMORY/SCALE
Published on March 11, 2026
Written by Karl Singporewala

March 2025 | BIPS Outreach Grant

 

COSMOS/MEMORY/SCALE

 

Summary of topic:

This project supported the production of a printed exhibition catalogue accompanying the solo art exhibition Karl Singporewala: Cosmos, Memory, Scale, at SOAS Gallery Oct-Dec 2025. The exhibition explored identity formation and personal themes of Zoroastrian cultural heritage, cosmology, and the relationship between memory, architecture, and contemporary sculptural practice. The exhibition brought together a survey of sculptural works from the last eighteen years of professional practice. The catalogue was conceived not simply as documentation of the contemporary art work, but also research-led descriptions of the historic artefacts that accompanied the exhibition. These reflective texts were put together by professors and students from SOAS University of London.

 

Report:

The British Institute of Persian Studies Outreach Project Grant directly enabled the physical printing of one-hundred copies of the catalogue. This ensured that the research underpinning the exhibition would have a lasting afterlife beyond the exhibition’s physical duration, reaching audiences who were unable to attend in person and providing a durable resource for future research, teaching, and curatorial contexts.

An important finding of the project was the value of printed material as a form of outreach. Visitors responded positively to the catalogue as an interpretive tool (as well as a keepsake for their visit), using it to deepen their understanding of the exhibition’s cultural and historical references. Beyond the exhibition, the catalogue has been shared with curators, researchers, and institutions, extending the reach of the project and supporting ongoing conversations around Persian cultural heritage in contemporary art.

The exhibition had an independent footfall counter for over 10,000 visitors by the exhibitions close, which included a record 200 guests for the opening night of the show. This is a testament to the to free-entry, purpose built gallery setup SOAS have on campus. What was clear was that the amount of printed catalogues was not sufficient, as less than 1% of visitors received a physical catalogue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karl Singporewala was the 2025 recipient of the SOAS Artist-in-Residence Fellowship of the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies.

 

 

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March 2025 | BIPS Outreach Grant

 

COSMOS/MEMORY/SCALE

 

Summary of topic:

This project supported the production of a printed exhibition catalogue accompanying the solo art exhibition Karl Singporewala: Cosmos, Memory, Scale, at SOAS Gallery Oct-Dec 2025. The exhibition explored identity formation and personal themes of Zoroastrian cultural heritage, cosmology, and the relationship between memory, architecture, and contemporary sculptural practice. The exhibition brought together a survey of sculptural works from the last eighteen years of professional practice. The catalogue was conceived not simply as documentation of the contemporary art work, but also research-led descriptions of the historic artefacts that accompanied the exhibition. These reflective texts were put together by professors and students from SOAS University of London.

 

Report:

The British Institute of Persian Studies Outreach Project Grant directly enabled the physical printing of one-hundred copies of the catalogue. This ensured that the research underpinning the exhibition would have a lasting afterlife beyond the exhibition’s physical duration, reaching audiences who were unable to attend in person and providing a durable resource for future research, teaching, and curatorial contexts.

An important finding of the project was the value of printed material as a form of outreach. Visitors responded positively to the catalogue as an interpretive tool (as well as a keepsake for their visit), using it to deepen their understanding of the exhibition’s cultural and historical references. Beyond the exhibition, the catalogue has been shared with curators, researchers, and institutions, extending the reach of the project and supporting ongoing conversations around Persian cultural heritage in contemporary art.

The exhibition had an independent footfall counter for over 10,000 visitors by the exhibitions close, which included a record 200 guests for the opening night of the show. This is a testament to the to free-entry, purpose built gallery setup SOAS have on campus. What was clear was that the amount of printed catalogues was not sufficient, as less than 1% of visitors received a physical catalogue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karl Singporewala was the 2025 recipient of the SOAS Artist-in-Residence Fellowship of the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies.

 

 

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