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Art Mumbai 2024: An emerging platform for contemporary South Asian voices
Summary
At the forthcoming edition of Art Mumbai, galleries showcase the latest in modern and contemporary art
The 2024 edition of Art Mumbai is all set to showcase modern and contemporary art from across the globe with a special focus on visual vocabularies from South Asia. The 71 participating galleries and three foundations include Vadehra Art Gallery, DAG, Experimenter, Galerie Isa, Emami Art, Galleria Continua, Rossi & Rossi and Volte Masters. “Global participation has notably increased with significant works coming in from international galleries. Some are bringing masterpieces by 20th century icons such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Anish Kapoor," says Dinesh Vazirani, co-founder, Art Mumbai. The past year has been one of learning and reflection, with the team identifying ways of elevating the experience for visitors. “We have broadened the scope of Art Mumbai by integrating diverse cultural expressions, including pop-up theatre, dance performances, and live music," he adds.
The speaker series, in collaboration with Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi, too has expanded in its scale. A host of panels and discussions are being planned. One session will focus on at the contribution of women in conflict zones as seen through the lens of visual arts. The idea is to challenge prevailing gender norms and look at ways of promoting an equitable society. As technology and Artificial Intelligence continue to impact the way art is being produced as well as consumed, one of the conversations focuses on the legal and ethical implications of AI. “It’s crucial to understand the opportunities and challenges it presents for the art world," says Vazirani. “We are expanding our examination of South Asia’s role on the global stage, while also delving into legacy building through patronage and philosophy."
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Galleries from across the country are making the most of this new platform to showcase contemporary practices. Shrine Empire, Delhi, for instance, is taking the dialogue around textile art forward with the works of Hema Shironi and Renuka Rajiv. Additionally, Baaraan and Moonis Ijlal will debut their works based on identity, memory and sociopolitical changes in Mumbai at this event. “The gallery brings the concept of home and belonging with Hema Shironi and Shruti Mahajan’s works. While Hema looks at migration and personal history, Shruti looks at politics of the border, overlapping it with the idea of a home," state Anahita Taneja and Shefali Somani, directors, Shrine Empire, in an email interview.
Another Delhi-based gallery, Blueprint12, is highlighting artists who perform the meditative acts of weaving, stitching, knotting and quilting through their works. “The act of hand-making becomes a way to meditate on time, memory, identity and resilience, with each fibre or strip of paper carrying the trace of the artist’s meditative practice," states the gallery note. One of the most evocative works on display is by Kaimurai, a moniker for Abishek Ganesh J. Nebulous forms in natural indigo are created on khadi. The Bengaluru-based artist follows the rhythms of Carnatic music and architecture, and his subconscious takes over while creating his work.
Akara Contemporary from Mumbai is showcasing three young artists, Arjuna Gunarathne, Saanthia Bulchandani and Yogesh Rai for the first time at an art fair. London-based Bulchandani uses monochrome to create fantastical and imaginative works. There is a meditative, almost melancholic, tone to her drawings and ink paintings as she considers solitude and relationships of humans and animals with domestic spaces.
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More figurative works can be seen at Mumbai’s Galerie Isa, where Indian-origin Anoushka Mirchandani and Ricky Vasan reflect on feelings of otherness and of the immigrant experience. Vasan’s work, at first seems like a scene of a vibrant gathering, but then you start noticing other details—of individuals standing apart from a group, looking down and detached. In Mirchandani’s Where the Cattails Whisper, shadows play an integral role in depicting identity transformations of a woman in a foreign land. They showcase abstract and miniature works by artists such as Gregor Hildebrandt, Russna Kaur, Idris Khan, Vipeksha Gupta, and more.
The city of Mumbai, and its many microcosms, are rendered beautiful in Sudhir Patwardhan’s canvases at the Vadehra Art Gallery showcase. They highlight the chaos of urban landscapes and the way people navigate them. 2024 marks the centennial year of artists F.N. Souza and V.S. Gaitonde, whose works will be showcased at the Saffronart Foundation booth. “This presents a unique opportunity to reflect on their powerful legacies and reinterpret their contributions to modern Indian art," says Vazirani. “Souza’s bold, expressive lines and Gaitonde’s meditative abstractions continue to resonate, bridging eras and influencing new generations of artists."
