There’s no need to take off your shoes to enter the technicoloured, hyperreal, dazzle-your-brain universe of ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ by TOILETPAPER. But it is well-advised to shed any attachment to reality as you enter this unique absurdist exhibit.  

Meandering through the often-overt, often-cryptic imageries that make up TOILETPAPER’s first showcase in the country, you start to see why India is the perfect place for their largest ever exhibit. With its storm of colour and chaos, there is something oddly ‘Indian’ about an overwhelming, sensory deep dive into this multi-layered Italian fantasy. Curated by TRIADIC and spread thematically and dramatically across the four floors of Art House — Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre’s dedicated visual arts space — this is an experience best experienced.

But to truly (not!) make sense of the brilliance, one must peek into the minds of its curators, connecting the dots that led Founders Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari bring together a lounging crocodile, a spaghetti-plastered car, a ‘dead body’, an infinity room and other thought-provoking installations and imageries inspired by pop culture, art history, religious iconography, the world of advertising and more.  
  
Below are excerpts from our chat with exhibition curators Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs and executive producer Elizabeth Edelman: 

1. When was your first association with TOILETPAPER and how has it evolved? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: We first got acquainted with TOILETPAPER through their Kenzo campaign collaboration, which was over a decade ago, followed by their Fondation Beyeler installation at Art Basel Miami in 2016. Upon witnessing their work, we were immediately enraptured by their witty, surrealist and slapstick approach to storytelling, consumer culture and mise-en-scenes. But to answer your question, we first worked together on Format — a music, art and technology festival in Bentonville, Arkansas last year, where TOILETPAPER transformed a retro barn into a disco madhouse that was run by a local drag queen. It had everything from salsa bands & local acts to epic performances by Fatboy Slim & Vieux Farka Touré. 
 
Having experienced their boundless creativity and collaborative nature, after visiting the NMACC for the first time, we immediately knew that Maurizio (Cattelan) and Pierpaolo’s (Ferrari) creations would be the perfect fit for the expansive space and the vibrant city!  

2. Why the title ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ as the name of your first ever exhibition in India? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs:  At its core, the exhibition investigates as to how we are all affected by an increasingly virtual world and have become numb to an overdose of information. Whether we want to or not, we are constantly bombarded with imagery and news from around the world, be it through our smartphone screens, or even as we walk through an airport or down the street, leaving absolutely no room for escape of any kind. So, the idea for naming our first ever exhibition in India stemmed from our desire to let the showcase be inhabited and defined solely by the audience. Because in an overdosed contemporary society, they get to decide just how slowly they can run. 
 
3. What were your main challenges in putting together this exhaustive show and how did you navigate them? How has your experience been in terms of quality of production and people?  
Elizabeth Edelman: Since both TRIADIC and TOILETPAPER are based out of Europe, the foremost challenge we faced was producing TOILETPAPER’s biggest show ever, so far away from home. Months of planning and strategizing went into bringing ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ to life, as we had to adapt our workflow and collaborate with multiple local partners. Which also meant that we had to put a lot of trust into our collaborators, and there were times when trial and error was the only way forward. Moreover, it was critical for us to produce this show locally, as we have always been inspired by India’s rich craftsmanship and artisanry. The hardworking nature of India's great workforce makes us all feel really lucky to have that level of quality and attention to detail incorporated into every aspect of the show. So, we’re glad that with this exhibit, India gets to enter the surreal universe of TOILETPAPER, and we hope it is the first of many more to come. 
 
4. The four floors of the Art House are occupied by four distinct chapters of the exhibition. How has the space lent itself to the concept? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: We always knew that we wanted ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ to be an all-encompassing, experiential, and dare we say, immersive environment thanks to the architecture of the Art House, and the expansive four floors worth of area it offers. We did a couple of site visits with the artists (Maurizio and Pierpaolo) a year ago and as it turned out, they immediately said they want to take over the entire space for the exhibit. Once that was done, the discussion of deciding what images go on which floor came from our vision for the audience to have a monolithic journey from the first floor to the very top, and the sort of imagery that would complement individual chapters on each floor. 
 
5. There is an immersive quality to the way that TOILETPAPER’s art and photography have been laid out in paper-and-cardboard-cut outs. How does this fit in (or not) in the larger scheme of 'immersive art' as we understand it today? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: We feel that the word 'immersive' has become somewhat of a taboo in the art world today. But it is true that art has become more commercial and accessible at present, thanks partially to immersive art. So when we say that this particular exhibition is an immersive one, we mean that it is a holistic experience for the audience. Once they enter the showcase, it is almost as if they get transported to a surreal universe within the four floors of the Art House. Here, they get completely detached from the outside world, and mesmerised by the alternate realities presented in every chapter, where images appear to come to life, making them question their own reality. 
 
6. How did India inspire your curation? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: The imagery at the exhibit is a mixture of TOILETPAPER’s archival pieces and new pieces that were created exclusively for this show. Of the four chapters, chapter three is filled with India-inspired elements. The Taj Mahal image in the bedroom for instance, was created specifically for this show. There's also a big picture with a volcano, and an image of the Indian elephant — once again, special creations for ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’. Speaking of the finer details, the window cut-outs you will see in the house are also inspired by Indian architecture, which is accompanied by an Indian music record player playing in the kitchen. So, as you can imagine, it is a coming together of these little easter eggs spread across various areas, as well as imagery that was quite obvious. To answer your question — yes, we did go for imagery that we and the artists felt, resonated more with India at large. 
 
7. TOILETPAPER has presented some pathbreaking exhibits across the world. How, according to you, is ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ different from them? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: We created this show specifically for the NMACC, and a lot of research went into conceptualising it. For both Pierpaolo and Maurizio, it was critical to understand India’s pop culture, what appeals to the youth, and how they interact with an overdose of visuals in the modern era. Unlike TOILETPAPER’s other exhibits around the world, the overall concept, themes and visuals of this installation, like having a dysfunctional house that can be monitored from a control room above it, is exclusive to the unique architecture of the Art House.  
 
8. What is the story behind the spaghetti overflow? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: Both Pierpaolo and Maurizio are deeply connected to their Italian roots, and with the finer nuances at the exhibition, their idea has been to stick to those roots and present what they are familiar with. This holds true for the spaghetti along the stairways as well — which also signify veins, and the congregation of cables behind a computer. 
 
9. India is a sensory country too. Beyond the exhibit, what are some experiences you want to launch your senses into, during you stay? 
Mafalda Millies & Roya Sachs: As a city, Mumbai is incredibly energetic and inspiring. Every time we come here for work, we try to explore new parts of the city of dreams — be it the markets and its textile districts or local restaurants and off-beat cultural spaces. Without giving away too much about our next show, let’s just say that we will be working closely with local craftsmen and Indian artists, so we’ll be back in the country for a longer trip very soon!

Presented by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, ‘RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN’ is TOILETPAPER’s largest exhibition till date and their first ever display in India. Comprising four visually hypnotic chapters spread across the four floors of the Art House, the showcase features iconic objects, images and works from the studio’s headquarters in Milan along with India-inspired artworks and installations created specifically for the exhibit. To book your tickets for this immersive experience, head over to nmacc.com or BookMyShow.