ALEXANDER HAHN

electronic media artist

photo © Stephan Rohner

(Thomas Daniell and)

THE RUINS OF NAURATTAN

2022, video installation, 

kinetic object (rear view mirror with LCD monitor, 

280 rpm 6V DC motor with wheel, speed controller, 

spring steel band, mounting hardware, brass doorstop, 

media player with SD video, mounted on cherry wood block), 30.5 × 30.5 × 25.4 cm

HD video projection, 60 sec loop, size variable


Blossom Village is a resort in Sidhpur, situated near Dharamsala in northern India. There, in his room, Alexander Hahn saw a reproduction of «The Ruins of Naurattan», originally a painting from the famous India cycle by Thomas Daniell (1749-1840) and his nephew William Daniell (1769-1837). From 1786, the Daniells traveled throughout India painting landscapes,. Their works were widely appreciated and are representative of the fascinating period of exploration in the late 18th century. Today, the ruins of Naurattan, part of the palace in Sasaram, Bihar, no longer exist. But in Alexander Hahn's projection, we even drive through the site in a rattling Indian auto rickshaw. A stone tablet lying on the ground distracts us. It crumbles. We fall down the rabbit hole and finally emerge back to daylight, again in front of the ruins. Now, the journey begins again.