Spotting conceptual and structural difference between western and Indian art world

Spotting In an exclusive interview, the co-curator of London's Whitechapel Gallery, Kirsty Ogg, discussed Indian art from a global perspective.

When asked how different is western art world from the Indian art scene in conceptual and structural terms, she commented: “Actually, I do not see much of a difference between the two. Of course, the Indian art scene is clearly still evolving. It’s an emerging market and needs to develop and deepen further to gather further strength and momentum. Its current trajectory can partly be attributed to globalization.

“Technology has made it easier to talk to people, communicate with each other, exchange different ideas and share various interesting concepts irrespective of geographical barriers. You can conduct research and convey your opinions over the Internet without any hindrance and inhibition,” she added.

According to Kirsty Ogg, the Internet has also given greater visibility to Indian contemporary art thanks to increased networking. Art galleries, institutions, fairs, museums and individual art experts are feeding this global interest. Of course, there are several other factors responsible. Prime among them is obviously the excellent quality of work being produced.

This is a great time, a sort of sweet spot, as curious collectors and experts are digging out the hidden wealth of talent in the country, she stated. Conceptually, you can see a piece of art as a combination of form and content. The forms or modes of expression remain more or less the same. There are commonalities existing on this count.

There are two sides to the Indian art scene - in terms of the (universal) form of the work, and the specific context, which has a unique Indian texture. What really matters is the uniqueness of content. This is where an artist like say, Subodh Gupta really impresses. He brings to the fore local influences, issues, concerns and motifs that are unmatched, she pointed out.