Reemphasizing the link between tradition and modernity

Signifying and amplifying the strong link between tradition and modernity in Indian art, a grand new exhibition at MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome holds a creative panorama. It reflects the economic, social and cultural developments of one of Asia’s largest regions over the past two decades.

Constituting probably the first investigation by an Italian museum of contemporary Indian art, a vast selection of works presents the multiform panorama of the country’s art scene. Curated by Julia Peyton-Jones, Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Gunnar B. Kvaran together with Giulia Ferracci, Assistant Curator MAXXI Arte, the event divulges diverse curatorial practices that exude tradition and modernity, blend religion and technology, signifying spirit of contemporary India.

Beginning with the definition of the highway as an element of connection between the migratory flows moving from the periphery towards the city, the ambitious event refers to technological development, the economic boom and the growing global centrality of this subcontinent in the world of the arts, especially since the 1990s.

Meanwhile, a major solo show of artist Rashid Rana courtesy Manchester-based Cornerhouse as part of Asia Triennial Manchester 11 cuts across conventional notions of the scale and status of the photographic object. The works open up its potential to represent cultural, social and physical realities.

They blur the divide between two and three-dimensional forms to challenge the viewer’s understanding of the world in which they live. Photo sculptures, large-scale photo mosaics, installations and new video work subvert perception of size and structure and urge us to look deeper into the relationship between the fragment and the bigger picture.

Widely considered among the most prominent contemporary artist in South Asia today, he looks to explore constructs of media and identity, reflecting upon and critiquing the impact of globalization worldwide, simultaneously exploring the local and competing influences of tradition and modernity. According to Lisson Gallery curatorial experts with whose support the exhibition takes place, Rashid Rana’s oeuvre demonstrates a powerful interplay between formal structure and highly charged content, creating a genuine hybrid of Asian and Western artistic traditions.”