March 19, 2011, 4:00pm

In the early 1960s, Richard Berger was given a book of images of the Sun Temple at Konarak on the eastern coast of India in Orissa, sparking a lifelong obsession that culminated in his visit there in 2001. Since then, he has created two large-scale models of the temple, both of which are on display at Meridian. Berger’s scale models represent, after many years of research, a kind-of reenactment of the portions of the largely ruined temple, particularly the tower that was destroyed centuries ago. These analyses inform Berger’s constructions—montages of kinetic sulpture and drawing—examining the temple as a cultural and societal prosthetic to complete “what’s not there.”

On March 19 at 4pm, sculptor, art historian, and master storyteller Richard Berger will lecture on the experiences that led to the creation of The Prosthetic Temple. His talk will explore the interaction between architecture and cosmic embodiment, the prosthetic society, and the concept of loss. As an artist and cultural observer, Berger deals with the inseparable nature of artistic cultural heritage and tradition, and the potential to detach from one’s own anthropology. The talk and subsequent question and answer period will provide an opening for understanding the complexities surrounding historic objects and sites, while focusing on the Sun Temple at Konarak, India.

Admission is free.