‘India Xianzai’ at Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Shanghai

Some of the hottest names from the current Indian art scene are attached to an ambitious art show in Shanghai, entitled ‘India Xianzai’ (India Now). It includes one of the largest ever Indian art collection ever displayed in China.

Among the artists participating in the show are Jitish Kallat, Reena Saini-Kallat, T V Santhosh, Subodh Gupta, Hema Upadhyay, Riyas Komu, Vivek Vilasini, Jagannath Panda, and Thukral & Tagra. This sparkling survey of Indian art also includes some superb work by artists such as Anju Dodiya, Hema Upadhyay, Probir Gupta, Justin Ponmany, Schandra Singh, Suhasini Kejriwal, Mithu Sen, Chitra Ganesh, Fariba Alam, Vibha Galhotra, Susanta Mandal and Suryakant Lokhande. They are all internationally established artists known for their wonderful work in a wide range of media.

Their works provide a glimpse of the growing presence and importance of Indian contemporary art worldwide. Importantly, ‘India Xianzai’ is not just any exhibition but a major museum show. It’s on view at Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Shanghai. As mentioned above, it’s the most comprehensive showcase of Indian contemporary art in China. The museum is owned by Samuel King.

The show comes at a crucial time when Asian art scene is evolving, especially in terms of price points. In China, there’s immense interest in Indian art. The market experts there are keen on checking where Indian art stands vis-a-vis Chinese art. The show will give them a fair idea of the current state of the Indian art market. Incidentally, prices of contemporary Chinese art have zoomed up whereas Indian art still remains very much affordable in comparative terms.

Diana Freundl, art director of Art+ Shanghai, along with Alexander Keefe visualized the ambitious art project while earlier being associated with MoCA. The curator has been quoted as saying in an interview: “This exhibit touches upon the topic of cultural assimilation that concerns not only India, but also many expanding Asian countries.”

The show is an outcome of efforts by Seven Art Limited and ICIA (Institute of Contemporary Indian Art) The ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations).has played a role too. The Indian consul general located in Shanghai has been extremely supportive of the effort.