A Tiger in the Castle

Culminating out of an extensive a period of research, the exhibition, A Tiger in the Castle by Daniel Trivedy, saw the Welsh artist responding to Powis Castle’s colonial connection to India.

Beginning in September 2023, Trivedy made a powerful performance inside the castle and grounds as an engaging and playful form of disruption, aligning with the artist’s re-imagining of Powis Castle as a potential site of learning and social cohesion.

Dressed in a costume of a tiger, Trivedy occupied various spaces, at once asserting his position and yet also poignantly vulnerable.

The tiger acts as a powerful motif, connecting to the artist’s identity as a person of Indian descent and directly referencing objects in the South Asian Collection at Powis Castle. During the British colonisation of India, tigers were declared as vermin, leading to a significant decline in their population numbers.

Following on from this performance, the ballroom adjacent to the Clive Museum at Powis Castle hosted the exhibition comprising a series of photographic images, a video of the performance shot inside the castle and grounds and a filmed interview with the artist.

Also included in the exhibition was a publication containing two newly commissioned texts - a writer’s poetic response by Lauren Craig and a text by Dylan Huw - which unpack thematic meanings and ideas behind the artist’s performance. 

The project was a partnership between Artes Mundi, National Trust Cymru and the artist.

To complement the performance and exhibition at Powis Castle and Gardens, a selection of photographs of this work were presented at Oriel Davies Gallery, 26 September to 8 November 2023.

Artists