Indian art shows that respond to present complexities and realities

In a series of solo and group shows internationally this year, renowned Indian artists have come up with works that pointedly respond to the present complexities and realities.

India’s fast flourishing contemporary art scene coupled with the recent economic upheavals have prompted critical questions related to culture and social structure in a nation caught between a dependence on global developments and an independent mindset. Against this backdrop,

Paris based Galerie Daniel Templon hosted the first ever show of works in France by Anju Dodiya. ‘Face-off’ (September– October) was a series in watercolor and charcoal on paper. Hauser & Wirth hosted a monumental new sculptures and the ‘Cosmos’ paintings by Subodh Gupta in its new Zurich space (September– November).

Jitish Kallat’s ‘Astronomy of the Subway’ (February- March) was hosted at London based Haunch of Venision gallery. The solo encompassed seven rooms of this world-renowned art space. In his first ever major presentation in an American museum, the artist has designed a site-specific installation that connects the First World Parliament of Religions held on September 11, 1893, and the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on that very date, exactly 108 years later. ‘Public Notice 3’ (September 2010–May 2011) at The Art Institute of Chicago is a trenchant commentary on the evolution, or devolution, of religious tolerance across the 20th and 21st centuries.

As 2010, a noteworthy year for Indian art, drew to a close, international galleries continued to feature prominent artists from the country. New York based e-flux presented an installation by Raqs Media Collective that combines historical photographs (from the Alkazi Collection, New Delhi and the Galton Collection at University College, London).

At Chicago’s Walsh Gallery, artists Vivan Sundaram, Reena Kallat, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, and Sheba Chhachhi explored the way art and water Intersect. A major retrospective exhibition of photographic works by Dayanita Singh was hosted at Huis Marseille Museum for Photography, Amsterdam. RL Fine Arts, New York presented works by legendary artist SH Raza.