“Does it feel weird going to an opening after all this time?” my friend asked me as we drove down to the gallery all masked up on a Saturday afternoon. I pondered over that for a moment as my eyes took in the familiar hubbub of the streets bathed by a gentle September sun redolent with the fading monsoon. There were more masks on the streets of course, but other than that everything seemed normal. And yet, there remained the fact that this was the first exhibition I was visiting in real-time since March when the lockdown started. So what does it mean for the exhibition to be taking up space right now with the pandemic showing no signs of relenting and for one to be venturing forth to pay witness?
I arrived just in time for Aqui Thami’s daily Ceremony to Bear Witness, with the curator Shaunak Mahbubani preparing to light an aromatic mixture of forest mulch and therapeutic herbs sent by the artist from their native Gorkhaland, denoting the semi-autonomously governed region around Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills in North-West Bengal with a predominantly Nepali-speaking demographic. The region has been fighting for complete statehood in a bid to preserve its distinct socio-cultural fabric, and the ceremony seeks to honor the memory of those who have perished or gone missing, one activist a day for the duration of the exhibition. This work is part of Seeds are Being Sown organized by Prameya Art Foundation at Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi, from the 11th of September to the 24th of October.
Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Art India.
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Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Art India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Parts, Wholes And The Spaces In Between
Sonal Sundararajan introduces Samira Rathod's free-spirited and rebellious explorations in the world of architecture, furniture and design.
"The Fine Art of Going to the Pictures."
Dr. Banerjee in Dr. Kulkarni's Nursing Home at Chemould Prescott Road brings together 26 paintings featuring a series of dramatic scenes from Hindi and Bengali films. In conversation with Abhay Sardesai, artist Atul Dodiya talks about childhood trips to movie halls, painted figures gripped by tension, and the closeness and remoteness of cinematic images.
"To Finally Have Something of Your Own to Mine."
Dayanita Singh is the recipient of the coveted 2022 Hasselblad Award. Keeping the photograph at the centre, she speaks to Shreevatsa Nevatia about books, book objects, photo novels, exhibitions and museums.
OF DIVINE LOSS
Shaurya Kumar explores the relationship between the subject and object of devotion, finds Aranya.
THE PAST AND ITS SHADOWS
Neha Mitra visits two shows and three artists in Mumbai.
FORCE OF NATURE
Alwar Balasubramaniam dwells on absences and ephemeralities in his new work, states Meera Menezes.
SHAPES OF WATER
Devika Sundar's works delineate the murky, malleable boundaries between the human body and the organic world, says Joshua Muyiwa.
INTIMATIONS OF INTIMACY
Sunil Gupta shares his journey with Gautami Reddy.
THE FRACTURED PROSPECT
Nocturnal landscapes as ruins in the making? Adwait Singh looks at Biraaj Dodiya's scenes of loss.
TEETERING BEYOND OUR GRASP
Meera Menezes traces Mahesh Baliga's journey from Moodabidri to London.