Shows that address our immediate concerns

Two recent group shows of artists from across India and abroad revolve around contemporary social and political concerns.

A thematic group show ‘Home Spun’ at New Delhi’s Devi Art Foundation encompasses painting, photography, sculpture, digital prints, interactive installations and video by artists from different countries. A curatorial note by Girish Shahane states: “Home is a place and also a state of mind, with both a locational as well an emotional dimension. At one level, the exhibit delves into the desire for sanctuary and, the pain of exile, at the other level. It dramatizes the tension that exists between longing and belonging. The works also interrogate the very nature of these fundamental sentiments.”

They also focus on the physical spaces that we inhabit - voluntarily or through compulsion, as they can well express our personality and define our character. It brings to life abstract issues of identity, security and conformity through tactile materials like brick, lace and bamboo. Among the prominent large-scale sculptural works on display are Hamra Abbas's ‘In This is a Sign for Those who Reflect’, Subodh Gupta's ‘My Mother and Me’, and Rashid Rana's ‘Desperately Seeking Paradise’.

Another significant show, entitled ‘Step Across This Line: Contemporary Art from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh’, at London-based Asia House showcased several contemporary artists, like Abishek Hazra, Naeem Mohaiemen, Mehreen Murtaza,Wakil Rahman, Priya Sen, Saira Ansari, Ayaz Jokhio, Firoz Mahmud , Gauri Gill, Malik Sajad, CAMP (Shaina Anand & Ashok Sukumaran) and Rashid Rana. The three neighboring countries share a fractious past. Even though the tensions are very much there in political and religious spheres, they searched for a common ground with mutual visions and ideas in a wide variety of mediums.

Founded in London in 1996, the pan-Asian organization in Britain aims to promote understanding and appreciation of Asian countries, their arts, economies and religions, and also to foster closer communication between the Asian and European population.