Sunil Gawde’s Like in Love Perhaps!

It’s turning into an exciting winter for the art world. As the economy rebounds and a level of confidence returns to the market, we’re seeing art shows that are bolder and differentiated and definitely not run-of-the-mill.

I have always believed that a new trend needs a leader to set the pace. Sakshi Art gallery recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in Delhi, which itself is a huge achievement as it shows consistency and a genuine interest in the arts.

Sakshi’s show was titled Scratch, after Ed Ruscha’s famous line “If it makes you scratch your head, it is Art”.

Scratch was different from most shows in a very important way. Instead of having a well known curator manage the show, Sakshi called in adman Swapan Seth, who is perhaps one of the country’s most important collectors of Contemporary art.

Rohini Devasher’s Ghosts in the Machine

Swapan’s intelligent, quick on the take, has a brilliant eye and is unconventional in his art picks. He, according to me, is the quintessential collector who buys in seconds of looking at an artwork or trashes the work equally fast if it doesn’t appeal to him.

But there was an additional crucial factor that made Scratch an outstanding show. Geetha Mehra and Usha Gawde of Sakshi have depth and confidence and they took two big risks. Firstly, they made an unconventional choice and brought in Swapan to curate their show and secondly they didn’t limit him to the gallery’s list of artists — almost inevitably, galleries want to push their own artists.

In addition to all that, they also allowed him to choose not only Indian artists but also international artists from countries as far afield as Indonesia, Cuba, Japan, Thailand, the US, Nigeria and Morocco.

I was curious to go and see the show and was stunned by what I saw. The entire show was a breath of fresh air and with a few exceptions did not display — as is all too common — what I call the ‘A-List’ of established Contemporary artists. On show were young Contemporary artists and through their eyes I saw how the world’s changing and evolving, and how artists are blurring the boundaries and pushing the envelope.

As I went around, I realised how subtly Swapan was introducing me to cutting edge Contemporary art practices in Taiwan and Indonesia where, as I could see, they didn’t fear commercial failure and were very innovative in their conceptualisation and even presentation. Also, most of the works were priced below Rs 2 lakh except for the monumental pieces.

I was very impressed with Sunil Gawde’s work of a staircase with roses stuck on the steps, a visually stunning installation aptly titled Like in Love Perhaps! Sunil is one of the few artists in India experimenting with installations and showing at key international fairs.

I also liked the work Sound Dots by Wang Fujui, which was like walking through a curtain of hanging lights in a dark room and hearing the sounds of a forest. It was a truly enriching experience — art which you can see, feel and hear. Also it was a work which could be installed in any public space and make a difference. Getting people to experience public art at a show was a really clever idea.

Long March to Java by Jompet Kuswidananto

Rohini Devasher did a single channel video work projected on a black circular frame called Ghosts in the Machine. With beautiful designs emerging on a black circle it was an interesting and engaging work with ever changing patterns emanating from the projector.

The other stunning work was a multi-media installation by an Indonesian artist Jompet Kuswidananto which was titled Long March to Java. It had a revolutionary speech running in the background with a clever use of drums playing and all the players looked real, with shoes and all. This was a work which stood out for me, especially the way in which all the media had been used for high audio-visual impact.

This was an exhibition with a difference and educational from an evolving art practice perspective. It has just finished showing in Delhi and it can now be viewed online on the Sakshi website. The gallery is finalising dates for shows in other cities.

Yes, the world around us is evolving and the boundaries are being redefined. And the best galleries, collectors and curators are changing the landscape and showing us the brave new world of Contemporary art.

Kapil Chopra is a senior hospitality professional and an art collector. He writes a blog on collecting and investing in Indian Contemporary art at www.indianartinvest.blogspot.com