Changing the Narrative

Rajiv Menon is realigning contemporary South Asian and diasporic art with inclusive cultural dialogues.

- SHIVPRIYA BAJPAI

With a vision to build a renewed cultural landscape around South Asian artists and to democratise art for the next generation art collectors, Los Angeles-based gallerist Rajiv Menon positions his flagship gallery right in the middle of these dynamic perspectives. Rajiv Menon Contemporary opens its doors in the heart of Hollywood to interject the growing momentum of inclusivity in art.

“The placement in Hollywood, within the community of large, established galleries, was my way of putting it out there that we’re neither niche nor at the margins, but at the centre of the conversation, in dialogue with all the other galleries I respect. I want the gallery to be a space of cultural exchange between the subcontinent and the web,” Menon points out. He wants to bring art into conversation with South Asian music and fashion, as well as explore mediums outside of the region.

The gallery’s inaugural show, titled Exhibitionism, brings together 19 leading contemporary South Asian artists to delve into the pleasures and pains of being seen, and the complex aesthetics that arise from both desiring and resisting attention. The featured artworks try to find a delicate balance between public and private with subjects ranging from the erotic to the domestic, the autobiographical to the fantastical. From Asif Hoque, Aman Aheer, Anoushka Mirchandani, to Tarini Sethi and Bhasha Chakrabarti—Menon brings an impressive line-up of artists to foster a deeper cultural context within the global dialogues.