Jitish Kallat’s ‘Stations of a pause’ on view at Chemould

Economic growth and urbanization coupled with the increasing intervention of cutting-edge technologies have dramatically altered India’s socio-economic landscape over the last couple of decades. Socially sensitive contemporary artists from the country highlight this development through their works and practice in a larger global and personal context; their themes, intimately linked with the local ethos, expertly assess the impact of globalization, causing drastic change in a society still heavily reliant on tradition.

This element of dynamism is evident in a series of events and exhibitions. One of them is Jitish Kallat’s ‘Stations of a pause’ on view at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai. It showcases a wide range of his practice that addresses the themes of sustenance, survival and mortality in the urban environ.

Most noteworthy of the works on display is a 750-part photographic work ‘Epilogue’ narrates a very personal story, tracing his father's life through all the moons he saw. Measuring his lifespan with around 22,000 moons in 63 years; the image of a waxing or waning meal replaces every moon, denoting the life cycle as periodical rotations of fullness and emptiness.

It all started almost seven years ago, when the celebrated artist created a work ‘Conditions Apply’ that traced the seven phases of the moon with the image of a roti, mystically morphing the metaphors for themes of life, time and sustenance. Last year, he conceived ‘Conditions Apply 2’ that again referred a lunar cycle’s format. He quips in an interview, “It prompted me to think about life as cycles of both fullness and emptiness, and also ponder on my father’s life.”

On the other hand, a 7 part lenticular panoramic photo 'Aspect Ratio' includes all seven colors of the rainbow and the image of a ubiquitous Mumbai street that flicker, and flip, as a viewer walks past it or even moves in front of it. A new series of paintings ‘Untitled’ (Stations of a Pause) represents candid imagery of the ubiquitous Mumbaikar. Simultaneously, his ‘Traumanama’ (gouache, tea-wash, spray-paint) forms part of 'Watercolour' at Tate Britain.