‘RITES’: a solo exhibition by Alida Sun

A solo exhibition titled RITES, by Berlin- and New York–based artist and technologist Alida Sun, will open at Method, Delhi, on January 31. The exhibition explores the intersections of technology, ritual and textile practices, bringing together code, embroidery, mirrorwork and performance to reframe computation as a site of care, resistance and collective imagination.

On view until March 15, the exhibition is open daily from 12 pm to 7 pm, except Mondays. RITES centres on Sun’s ongoing daily coding practice, sustained over more than 2,300 consecutive days, where repetition becomes ritual and software is treated as a communal, generative process rather than a purely extractive one.

The exhibition draws attention to the often-erased history of women as the earliest computers and pioneers of software engineering. Through this lens, Sun positions technology as a tool for creation and liberation, countering its association with surveillance and militarisation.

The works are hand-coded and hand-embroidered in collaboration with women artisans at SSMI, translating computational patterns into large-scale tapestries. Embedded mirrorwork, rooted in traditions of spiritual protection, forms part of each piece, while infrared sensors capture the artist’s movement and convert it into code, generating abstract human–machine portraits that function as both signature and encryption.

Also Read: Two exhibitions trace Seema Kohli’s evolving dialogue with body, memory and the sacred

The exhibition will open with an evening programme on January 31, featuring a presentation by Alida Sun and a live-coded audio-visual performance by Abhinay Khoparzi. His performance responds to the exhibition through real-time, algorithmically generated soundscapes, extending its themes of ritual, solidarity and experimentation.

RITES is an official India Art Fair Parallel. Works by Alida Sun will also be presented at Method’s booth (E10) at the India Art Fair from February 5 to 8.

When: January 31 to March 15

Where: Method, Defence Colony, New Delhi