Comments
Come summer, it’s officially the end of holidays for the art fraternity. A round-up of the best shows across the country, including many that are jam-packed with exciting events.
Delhi-NCR
Name of show : Homepage
Where : Vadehra Art Gallery, D53, Defence Colony
When : On till September 6
Why attend : Six weeks of exhibitions, talks, workshops and projects organised by Vadehra Art Gallery and the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA). In focus are several young artists, curators and art educators. Art events and shows will spotlight FICA’s work, including support, art education and outreach.
Artworks to watch for : FICA Emerging Artist Award-winner Gipin Varghese is up first in the solo exhibitions with ‘Lifetimes’ — a body of work created over the last two years. His delicate paintings and line drawings are his way of re-looking at news and the images of violence, death and struggle emerging from non-urban India. Also, don’t miss ‘Manifested’, a presentation by Julia Villaseñor Bell and Priyanka Choudhary on performance art and its bearing on activism through intercultural exchange (August 15, 6pm).
BLink tip : Invitations to the talks are on a first-come-first-served basis.
Name of show : Institutions
Where : 320, Lado Sarai
When : August 12-31
Why attend : Exhibit 320, in association with Tasveer and Vacheron Constantin, brings together Christopher Taylor’s photographs of imperial buildings in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi in a single narrative.
Artworks to watch for : Taylor’s photographs capture the transformed faces of what are the last redoubts of colonialism. Shot exclusively in black and white, the photos largely focus on the edifice and the surrounding environment, as exemplified by the image of the Kenesseth Eliyahoo synagogue in Mumbai. Every detail, from ornate chandelier to patterned flooring, is in sharp frontal focus, evoking the formal opulence of a bygone era. Author and publisher Naveen Kishore describes the works as “Haunted by the ‘then’ of a previous longpassed moment.”
BLink tip : Train your eye to move beyond the seductive surface of the image to uncover the underlying poignant narrative.
Mumbai
Name of show: Art Night Thursday
Where : The Mumbai Art District, Colaba
When : August, every Thursday
Why attend : Following a global trend, gallerists in Mumbai’s art district have pooled their collective energies to come up with an auspicious night of trawling the galleries. Make a night of it, a glass of wine in hand, feasting your eyes on the latest contemporary art exhibitions.
Artworks to watch for : Near the Radio Club circuit, drop in at Lakereen Gallery to view Chitra Ganesh’s gigantic wall drawings. Titled ‘Drawing from the Present’, it has women in all shapes and sizes casually reclining or bedecked in fanciful headdresses, looking partly like mad scientists, partly beloved Mother Goddesses (till August 24). Gallery Maskara opens its art season with a debut solo by artist Meenakshi Sengupta. ‘Flavour Chart’ features works that look beguilingly like traditional miniatures but have a twist in the tale. They blur the boundary between ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ (till September 28).
BLink tip : Plan your evening so you don’t run out of steam until you have visited at least five galleries before sitting down to dinner.
Name of show: Renewable Pleasures — The India Chapter
Where : Gallery Chemould, Prescott Road, Queen’s Mansion, Fort
When : Till August 23
Why attend : Geneva-based artist Esther Brinkmann, known for creating ‘wearable art’, is showing in India for the first time, and is worth catching if you appreciate the blurring of boundaries between art, design and jewellery.
Artworks to watch for : Sublime pieces such as ‘Cocoon’, ‘Shield’, ‘Out of Question’ and ‘Last Drop’, which evoke the aesthetics of texture and form.
BLink tip : Don’t try to wear it even if it says wearable art!
Chennai
Name of show: The Collection
Where : Government Museum, Chennai and District Museum, Pudukkottai
When : Round the year, except on Mondays and government holidays
Why attend : After a grand makeover in June, one of India’s oldest museums, the Chennai Government Museum (1851) is ready to open up its vast collection of artwork to the public. The new fibre optic lighting, restored artworks, ambient settings, guided and curated exhibits, and interactive touchscreens have put the Chennai museum on par with its Mumbai and Delhi counterparts.
Artworks to watch for : The new Rock and Cave Art Gallery recreates for visitors the rock art found in remote areas of Tamil Nadu such as Perumukkal in South Arcot (petroglyphs), Alambadi, Keezhvalai in Villupuram district, and Vellarikombai and Iduhatti in Nilgiris district. Kids and grown-ups alike will be enamoured by the simulated atmosphere of caves, the son et lumiere, touchscreens and slides. Renowned artist Raja Ravi Varma’s mythological paintings of gods and goddesses have been restored and pleasingly illuminated.
BLink tip : Reserve an entire day for the museum as there are several delightful and educational exhibitions under one roof, showcasing toys, crafts, coins and rare maps.
Bangalore
Name of show: A Goldfish Bowl
Where : Gallery SKE, 2, Berlie Street, Langford Town
When : Till August 16
Why attend : An innovative exhibition by Rathin Barman that looks at the expansion of cities that have grown essentially from a colonial model. It dwells on the physical and visual contradictions of the urban sprawl.
Artworks to watch for : Sculptures, paper works and assemblages. A rejected architectural plan is the most ambitious of the lot, consisting of a large floor installation of spiral rods welded together to spell out street names and addresses. The letters are jumbled, so it’s difficult to make out the names — a perfect metaphor for the chaos and anonymity offered by a big metropolis.
BLink tip : Do not go expecting pretty or picturesque art. These are hard-hitting works — their raw architectural beauty likely an acquired taste for even the art-literate.
Kochi
Name of show: The Kochi Muziris Biennale
Where : Throughout the city
Why attend : One of Kochi’s most-awaited events, the Biennale is a 108-day celebration of art accompanied by lively talks, performances and artist demonstrations. The second Biennale, curated by leading contemporary artist Jitish Kallat, will showcase interesting projects by acclaimed international and South Asian artists. The works range from interactive performances, videos, paintings and sculpture to interventions in public spaces. The participating artists come in all age groups — from early 20s to late 80s.
When : December 12, 2014, to March 29, 2015
Artworks to watch for : Many of the displays are still works-in-progress, so it’s too soon to take a call. Young Mumbai-based artist Sahej Rahal is already in Kochi and creating his work at the very site where it will be displayed, while Mithu Sen is inspecting the site allotted to her and planning her work.
BLink tip : Blink and you might miss some of the artworks!
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.