Japan- “Cut Pieces,” a solo exhibition of works by Fuyuhiko Takata

Evocative of myths, legends, fairy tales, and other fantasy worlds, Takata creates vibrantly rich narratives through his self-produced cinematic pieces. Deceptively simple and often profoundly humorous, he meticulously crafts each vignette, often transforming his tiny apartment into elaborate homemade film sets while sculpting his own intricate and colorful props, which are themselves works of art. Directing, filming, narrating, and even acting in his videos, he is a visual storyteller whose elaborate visions playfully interrogate social questions around power, nation, gender, and sexuality. Resonating with subtle and often poetic critique, these works are theatrical, poignant glimpses into alternate universes that challenge our understandings of contemporary society in Japan and worldwide.

 “Cut Pieces” for Art Basel Hong Kong 2024, is an installation and video exhibition that highlights two of Takata’s most recent companion works, The Butterfly Dream (2022) and a latest video titled Cut Suits (2023). The first is a piece in which the artist poetically alludes to “Dream of the Butterfly,” an episode from the Chinese classic Zhuangzi, in which the protagonist dreams he has metamorphosed into a butterfly. Nodding to the landmark work of Yoko Ono, Takata conjures up a fantastical scene in which a hybrid butterfly-scissors chimera flaps its wings as it slices away the clothing of a sleeping young man, raising profound philosophical questions around not only the dialectical relationship of power to pleasure but also the rigid inhibitions surrounding masculinity itself. Cut Suits, meanwhile, is a sequel that further develops this deconstruction by literally excising the superficial trappings of institutionalized male power. In this work, six men clad in business attire delight in snipping away with scissors at each other’s suits, shirts, and ties, while cheerful music plays enchantingly in the background. This nonviolent and even whimsical ritual hints at liberatory themes of shedding, hatching, and unleashing that so prominently recur throughout Takata’s opus. As a monument to the messiness and difficulty entailed in unraveling the patriarchy, these scrapped and tattered garments sheared from the bodies of the film’s characters will be heaped in front of the screen, a gravesite of molted manhood. Nearby this pile of detritus, the booth will also feature the butterfly scissors sculpture that appears in the first film

Fuyuhiko Takata, Cut Suits, 2023, installation view ©︎Fuyuhiko Takata, courtesy of the artist and WAITINGROOM

Referencing both Duchamp’s famous “Cemetery of Uniforms and Liveries” motif, which represents the symbolization and stereotyping of masculinity and femininity, Takata also alludes to the practice of minimalist sculptor Robert Morris, who littered his exhibition sites with shredded fabric. The artist thus brings Western art into conversation with his identity as a Japanese contemporary artist by fetishizing the figure of the “salaryman,” the icon of corporate masculinity in Japan, so often imagined packed into rush-hour trains like sushi. Teasingly cutting away at the threads that shackle these souls to destinies of heteronormativity and capitalist machismo, he humanizes them and rescues their innocent joy enshrouded just beneath the surface

WAITINGROOM Discoveries Sector, Booth 1C43 Solo Presentation of Fuyuhiko Takata (高田冬彦) Show Title: Cut Pieces WAITINGROOM is pleased to present

 “Cut Pieces,” a solo exhibition of works by Fuyuhiko Takata（高田冬彦）, a Tokyo-based artist born in 1987 in Hiroshima, Japan, in the Discoveries Sector (Booth 1C43) at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024.

 

Chen Ting-Shih March 21 - 25, 2024 Art Basel Hong Kong Insights 3D30

 Printmaking Leader Integrating Eastern and Western

In Chen Ting-Shih's prints, we can observe numerous influences from Chinese painting. The extensive use of black immediately brings to black ink, and the juxtaposition of black with other visible colors like white, yellow, red, and blue corresponds to traditional Chinese colors that represent directions. Through the titles of the works that connect with time and the universe, the images of the sun and moon in the works can be constructed into abstract landscapes representing day and night. This transformation is also present in Chen's totem prints, where the totems are closely related to calligraphy and written characters. The typical landscape patterns seen in traditional Chinese scroll paintings become lines, neither resembling characters nor rocks and flowing water. This represents Chen's unique artistic interpretation of Chinese art.

陳庭詩 Chen Ting-Shih, 意志 1 Will 1, 1973, 甘蔗板版畫 cane fibre board relief print on paper, 62 x 62 cm, edition 1 of 25, courtesy of Each Modern

Chen's most well-known prints are, in fact, a convergence of various regions and eras. Printmaking entered China from Europe in the 1930s, sparked by the advocacy of the renowned writer Lu Xun, which led to the initiation of the "woodcut movement." As a medium entirely distinct from traditional Chinese painting and oil painting, printmaking once symbolized a departure from tradition and, for a significant period thereafter, was utilized as a tool for political propaganda due to its reproducibility. This characteristic resonates with Chen's early involvement in the publishing industry.

Since the 17th century, Taiwan has been cultivating sugarcane, and this industry has experienced fluctuations throughout different periods. In the heyday of the sugar industry in Taiwan during the 1950s and 1960s, the residual cane fiber boards after sugar production became the material for Chen's woodcut prints. Unlike other professional printing materials, the use of such inexpensive and readily available material reflects Chen's daily environment and background. It serves as both a microcosm of a specific era and an experimental feature of working with materials with minimal constraints.

Amidst the trend of pursuing modernization and the integration of Eastern and Western elements at that time, Chen did not simply use oil colors to depict an ink wash appearance. Instead, he uniquely employed printmaking techniques. These prints may lean more towards the practices of Western hard-edge art, with perfect separations between color blocks. However, in Chen's printing, this perfection in separation is an acceptance of differences, reflecting the spiritual refinement that the artist cultivated from his life experiences.

Pioneer of Asian Ready-Made Sculpture

 In the early 20th century, Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp successively used ready-made objects as creative materials. As modern art flowed into Asia, Asian artists began to explore the possibilities of ready-made objects, with the most notable being the Japanese Mono-ha movement of the 1960s. However, during the same period, Chen Ting-Shih, who had already moved to Taiwan, also delved into the creation of ready-made sculptures Inspired by Picasso's artwork "Bull's Head" (1942), Chen embarked on an exploration of ready-made objects. As a former significant maritime hub, Taiwan's maritime history dates back to the Ming and Zheng periods. After experiencing Japanese rule and modernization in the 1950s, the rise of the shipbreaking industry was facilitated by extensive manufacturing and the sinking of warships, producing a surplus of shipwrecks in Taiwan. Similar to the cane fiber boards of the sugar industry, these materials, rich in symbolic representations of their time, became a source of inspiration for Chen's artistic creations.

Chen's iron sculpture creations reached their peak in the 1980s after he relocated to Taichung. Commuting between Taichung and the shipbreaking industrial area in Kaohsiung, he collected scrap iron and industrial waste, then welded and assembled them in his studio. The rough iron pieces, covered in reddish-brown rust stains, might seem solid and heavy, but in his compositions, they appear light and graceful. Gears, iron chains, structures, egg cake molds, and unidentifiable objects – they respond to the circles and lines in his prints and serve as the artist's expression of the sun, moon, and stars. These seemingly cosmic symbols and relics may also reveal the aspirations of humanity toward space exploration during that time.

In the realm of Asian art, which values craftsmanship and refined aesthetics, Chen's departure from intricate techniques in his ready-made iron sculptures can be considered pioneering for his time. He stands as one of the earliest Chinese artists in the realm of ready-made art, setting him apart from other renowned Asian artists in this genre. While Mono[1]ha emphasizes the visual representation of raw materials and Nam June Paik's ready-made art centers on conceptual expression, Chen's iron sculptures possess a more organic quality. Each component appears to grow seemingly haphazardly, yet carries a strong geometric consciousness, conveying the pure and tranquil essence found in his prints. Most notably, Chen's iron sculptures retain traces of human activities and historical heritage specific to a certain time and space.

Experiment with Acrylic on Paper

During the dominance of abstract art by the United States during the Cold War, many Taiwanese artists ventured abroad, marking a new chapter in Chinese art. As early as 1959, Chen Ting-Shih was selected to participate in the São Paulo Biennial and continued to exhibit there for several years. His international engagements also included important print biennials and ink-themed exhibitions in the United States, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and other countries. He emerged as one of the most representative Chinese artists of that era on the global stage. In 1976, Chen was invited to reside in the United States for a year. Apart from exhibiting locally, he absorbed the diversity of Western abstract painting. Upon his return to Taiwan, Chen began creating acrylic on paper that incorporates Western pigments into traditional ink art. However, his color ink works remained intertwined with printmaking, with similar color blocks and recurring circles consistently showcasing the artist's consistency. It is a representation of the cyclical nature of all things in the passage of time, and a reflection on the potential expressions within Chinese ink art. From printmaking to color ink and iron sculpture, Chen continued to stimulate himself through various artistic mediums, each evoking different chemical reactions within his creative process.

The Artist in the Era of Great Changes Chen Ting-Shih (1913-2002), witnessed significant transformations in Chinese modern history during the first half of his life. Born in 1913 in Changle, Fuzhou, Chen experienced a childhood marked by deafness due to an accident. He graduated from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (now Nanjing University of the Arts). During the Sino-Japanese War, he used cartoons as a means of artistic expression. In 1945, Chen moved to Taiwan, where he continued his involvement in the publishing industry through cartoons. In 1947, he became a witness to the turbulent times in Taiwan and maintained himself as a quiet and contemplative existence over the following decade. In the late 1950s, as the Ton Fan Group and the Fifth Moon Group that Chen joined later sought to subvert traditional ink painting, Chen, who focused on woodblock prints, collaborated with artists like Qin Song, Li XiQi, and Yang YingFeng to establish the Chinese Modern Printmaking Group. They brought a more modernistic approach to printmaking from Taiwan to the international stage, participating in events such as the São Paulo Biennial and various.

influential printmaking biennials worldwide. By the late 1960s, Chen ventured into sculpture by using found materials. One of his most well-known endeavors was visiting the shipbreaking industrial zone in Kaohsiung, where he collected discarded ship parts to use as materials for his sculptures. This marked a significant shift in his artistic practice, showcasing his ability to adapt and innovate across different mediums and materials.

The social upheavals that Chen experienced infused his works with a sense of effortless grandeur: the restrained and profound linocuts with minimal abstract color blocks eloquently speak of the harmony between all things and the passage of time; the totem prints emphasize the importance of Eastern lines while detaching from the narrative text of the symbols; the rough ready-made sculptures, a pioneering effort in Asia at the time, naturally and effortlessly reconfigured their appearances.

In 2002, Chen passed away in Taichung, leaving behind a rich number of prints and sculptures. Today, there is a growing interest and continued research into Chen's works. In an era dominated by representational art reflecting contemporary issues, Chen's creations, interpreting the perception of the universe through abstraction and Eastern impressions, stand out as a rare and pure expression that is almost vanishing in the contemporary art scene. This underscores the significant spiritual value of his works in the present day.

Chen's works are collected by numerous prominent private collectors in Taiwan and are also part of the collections of major institutions such as the Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and Citibank Taiwan. Internationally, institutions that collect Chen's works span a wide range, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Cincinnati Art Museum, ABN AMRO Hong Kong, Chase Bank Hong Kong, IBM Corporation, and various other art and non-art institutions. In the international auction market, major auction houses have successfully sold works by Chen, with Sotheby's several dedicated auctions. His auction record reached its peak in terms of total sales and prices in the year of 2020.

Each Modern is pleased to present a solo booth by Chinese artist Chen Ting-Shih at the "Insights" sector of 2024 Art Basel Hong Kong.

Chen’s art traverses the realms of poetic contemplation and found materials, pioneering a distinct Eastern expressiveness through printmaking, iron sculptures, and color ink paintings.

Artblogazine

India Art Fair 2024 features 109 exhibitors, including 72 galleries and major regional and international art institutions.

 

India Art Fair, the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, opens its 15th edition today at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi with an invitation-only VIP preview. Running from 1 to 4 February 2024 and led in partnership with BMW India, India Art Fair 2024 features 109 exhibitors, including 72 galleries and major regional and international art institutions. The fair welcomes a total of 31 new exhibitors, including 7 new design studios in its first ever collectible Design section. For its biggest edition yet, India Art Fair continues in its mission to showcase the best of modern and contemporary South Asian art alongside major contemporary international artists whilst adding handmade and limited edition design by pioneering studios for the first time, solidifying its position as the leading platform for art and culture in the region.

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director, India Art Fair says, “We are excited to be opening our doors today and welcoming our visitors, exhibitors, artists, patrons and collectors to this landmark edition of India Art Fair. For the past 15 years, the fair has been a celebration of the very best of South Asian creativity, and in 2024 we are taking this even further with our biggest edition yet and the inauguration of our very first Design section. Complementing the gallery displays, we are also hosting our most ambitious programme of commissions, projects, talks and workshops yet, showcasing the diversity and power of artistic talent from across India and the wider region

EXHIBITOR HIGHLIGHTS

India Art Fair 2024 features some of India’s most important contemporary galleries alongside established international names showcasing rare masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as examples drawing from South Asia’s traditional arts heritage. Top Indian galleries show masterpieces by Indian modernists including Jamini Roy (Chawla Art Gallery, Dhoomimal Gallery, DAG), G. R. Santosh (DAG), Ram Kumar (Sanchit Art) and Ganesh Haloi (Akar Prakar, Sanchit Art), in addition to works by Company School painters like Sewak Ram (DAG), lesser known modernists such as B. Prabha, Radha Charan Bagchi (both DAG) and Rustom Siodia (Chatterjee & Lal), and senior contemporary artists such as Thota Vaikuntam and Manu Parekh (both Art Alive Gallery and Gallerie Nvya). Also on view are South Asian artists with a global presence including Gauri Gill (Vadehra Art Gallery), Rana Begum (Jhaveri Contemporary), Dayanita Singh (Nature Morte), Ayesha Sultana (Experimenter), Tayeba Begum Lipi (Shrine Empire) and Mithu Sen (Chemould Prescott Road), as well as emerging artists working across diverse mediums such as T. Venkanna (Gallery Maskara), Isha Pimpalkhare (Tao Art Gallery), Ketaki Sarpotdar (Latitude 28), Harsha Durugadda (Emami Art, The Arts Family) and Rajyashri Goody (GALLERYSKE). New artists at the fair include Jatinder Singh Durhailay (Anant Art) showing contemporary miniatures, J. Demsky (Method) bringing futuristic works, textile artist Akshata Mokashi (Galerie Splash), photographer Tenzing Dakpa (Indigo+Madder), printmaker Jayati Kaushik (Exhibit 320) and installation artist Jonathan Trayte (Akara Contemporary).

The 12 international galleries at the fair show renowned South Asian artists in the diaspora and working from countries in the region beyond India, including Rina Banerjee (1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai), Waqas Khan (Aicon, New York), Amba Sayal-Bennet (Indigo+Madder, London), Affan Baghpati (Aicon Contemporary, New York), and Arjuna Gunarathne and Firi Rahman (Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo), alongside international powerhouses such as Olafur Eliasson (neugerriemschneider, Berlin), Anish Kapoor (Galleria Continua, San Gimignano & 7 locations) and Ozioma Onuzulike (Marc Straus, New York).

About India Art Fair India Art Fair is the leading platform to discover Modern and Contemporary art from South Asia, offering a unique access point to the region’s thriving cultural scene.

Taking place annually in India’s capital, New Delhi, the fair reflects the city’s fast-developing local arts scene, while offering curated insights into the cultural landscapes of neighbouring countries. The fair’s programme - which draws together galleries and artists, private foundations and arts charities, artists’ collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals - enables international audiences to engage in innovative ways with the cultural history and development of the region

The fair is committed to supporting arts education and professional development opportunities, recognising the crucial need to support the development of the local arts scene, and provide dedicated exhibition space to emerging galleries and arts organisations. The fair aims to run an extensive programme of events, including education initiatives, artist commissions and pop-up programmes, aiming to increase audiences for the arts within India.

About BMW’s Cultural Commitment

For over 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and been engaged in hundreds of cultural co-operations worldwide. The focus of its long-term commitment is set on modern and contemporary art, classical music, jazz and sound, as well as architecture and design.

Along with commissioning iconic BMW Art Cars and co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the ‘Opera for All’ concerts in Berlin, Munich, Moscow and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group guarantees absolute creative freedom, as this is just as essential for ground-breaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

Since its inception, BMW India has participated in leading cultural engagements across the country. In 2007, two BMW Art Cars embellished by world renowned artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein were presented at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. BMW Art Car by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Sandro Chia and Cesar Manrique have been exclusively showcased at various editions of the India Art Fair.

Since 2012, BMW has partnered with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the contemporary art exhibition, which brings international artists to India and creates a global platform for Indian artists. In 2012-13, the innovative BMW Guggenheim Lab came to India. Based at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and conducted at six different venues in Mumbai, the lab organised six weeks of free programmes with diverse audiences and communities addressing the challenges and conditions of the urban city.

India Art Fair- 2024 / All artwork images are courtesy of the artist and representing gallery.

Art Blogazine 2024

 

 

 

 

India Art Fair 2024

 

https://indiaartfair.in/

The 15th edition of India Art Fair celebrates Artistic Diversity, making the canvases quondam!

More than 100 exhibitors raised the curtains to a unique side of art proving art is not limited to just walls and canvases.

The India Art Fair 2024 brings together a melting pot of artistic expression, with a myriad of galleries, institutions, private foundations, arts charities, artists’ collectives, cultural centers and museums hailing from India and beyond showcasing a wide spectrum of artistic styles, mediums, and influences.

The event, happening in Capital City from 1st to 4th February, serves as a platform for artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts to engage with a diverse range of artworks, reflecting the rich tapestry of creativity that spans not only across India but reaches out to the broader global artistic community. 

From traditional to contemporary, textile to digital, experimental to conceptual, design to abstract the exhibition halls are filled with a dazzling array of artworks, each telling its own unique story. Visitors are having the opportunity to immerse themselves in a sea of creativity, exploring the depths of Indian art alongside international perspectives, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and inspiration.

In addition to the impressive array of galleries and museums, the 2024 edition of the India Art Fair also welcomes the participation of cultural hubs and designers. Seven design studios are being showcased in the new design section. This inclusion not only augmented the scope of the fair but also added an exciting dimension by incorporating elements of design, fashion, and cultural heritage into the artistic tapestry on display. ‘The idea is to place art and design in the same space and blur the boundaries between the fields.’ says the IAF director, Jaya Asokan.

Against the backdrop of vibrant creativity, this annual show is serving as a place for dialogue and exchange, fostering connections between artists, collectors, and audiences. Through a series of talks, workshops, special programmers and interactive installations, the fair provides a space for meaningful engagement and exploration, bridging the gap between art and its audience.

The huge installations, use of unique materiality, international art, infusion of digital elements, blend of art and luxury, experimental projects and performances all make the 15th edition of India Art Fair worth visiting. It is a testament to the boundless creativity that emanates from both India and the global artistic community, reaffirming the pivotal role of art as a medium for cultural exchange, expression, and understanding.

Sanchita Sharma_ Writer / Editor 2024 / Art Blogazine India

Book of Gold: Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras Publication Launch at JLF and Talk with Kamini Sawhney

 

Book of Gold: Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras Publication Launch at JLF and Talk with Kamini Sawhney l Beyond Borders: ART INSTITUTIONS AND INNOV-ART-ATIONS at India Art Fair Grounds. We wanted to check your interest on attending the same.

 

1. Book of Gold: Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras Publication Launch at JLF

We are excited to announce that MAP will be launching the Book of Gold: The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras publication at JLF.  The programme is scheduled on February 3rd, 2024, at 5 pm at the Mughal Tent at Hotel Clark Amer. Kamini Sawhney, Director, Museum of Art and Photography will be inaugurating the book at JLF. She will also be conversing with one of the authors of the publication, Prof. Philip Lutgendorf. 

 

Your presence can play a vital role in highlighting the launch of the book and the highlights of the aspects of this rich manuscript. Request you to please let us know if you would be interested in attending the same, and we will connect you to our representatives at the event.

 

Please find below further details on Book of Gold: The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras.

 

Book of Gold: Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras Publication Launch at JLF

Venue: Mughal Tent, Hotel Clark Amer

Date: February 3rd, 2024

Time: 5:00 PM (IST)

 About Book of Gold: The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras:

'Book of Gold: The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras' offers a scholarly exploration with six essays by leading experts in art, architectural history, literature, and religion. Uniting 75 folios of the Chitra Ramayana, a previously undiscovered manuscript created for Banaras' royal court between 1796 and 1814, these folios are showcased at MAP in an exhibition curated by Prof. Kavita Singh and Dr. Parul Singh.

 

Prof. Kavita Singh's introductory essay addresses the historical, religious, literary, and artistic contexts. Prof. Philip Lutgendorf explores the societal impact on Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, and Dr. Parul Singh highlights prior attempts to illustrate Rama-kathas. Dr. Heeryoon Shin delves into Banaras' architectural projects, and Prof. Anjan Chakraverty traces the art patronage history. Prof. Richard Schechner contrasts the exclusive Chitra Ramayana with the populist Ramlila. Concluding with a Note on Style and image reproductions, the book sheds light on 19th-century North Indian miniature painting traditions. Providing a unique interdisciplinary perspective, this invaluable resource bridges disciplines and eras and invites scholars, and enthusiasts to explore the intricacies of 19th-century North Indian courtly painting and manuscript paintings.

 

Editor Bios:

Kavita Singh

Kavita Singh (1964-2023), an eminent Indian art historian, was associated with the School of Arts and Aesthetics (SAA) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she served as Dean and also taught courses on the history of Indian painting and the history and politics of museums in South Asia, from 2001.

 

Parul Singh

Parul Singh is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the interdisciplinary program 4A Laboratory: Art Histories, Archaeologies, Anthropologies, Aesthetics of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut, supported by the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin. She specialises in pre-modern visual and material culture with a focus on South Asian art.

Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru Situated in the heart of Bengaluru, the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) opened its doors on February 18th, 2023, with a dedicated mission to democratise art. Spanning five floors, MAP’s collection of over 60,000 artworks, primarily from South Asia, ranges from the 10th century to the present. Launched in 2020, MAP's digital museum employs innovative methods to connect with audiences, offering curated online exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, and high-quality content such as blogs, essays, and interviews. This approach aims to actively engage and connect with new audiences, particularly those unfamiliar with the arts

 

 

Subodh Gupta: “A small village, around the corner, up in the mountain”

Aparajita Jain and Peter Nagy (co-directors of Nature Morte) are proud to announce the opening of a permanent space for the gallery in Mumbai, occupying the entire third floor of Block A of the historic Dhanraj Mahal at Apollo Bandar. Joining the family of contemporary art galleries in the Colaba neighborhood, our windows look directly upon the Bombay Yacht Club and the new tower of the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Artist: Subodh Gupta
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subodh_Gupta)

The gallery will open with a solo show of new works by the celebrated artist Subodh Gupta, who was born in Bihar in 1964 and is based in the New Delhi suburb of Gurgaon. This is the seventh solo show that Nature Morte is hosting with Gupta in India, and opening our Mumbai space with him is particularly appropriate as we opened our Neeti Bagh space in New Delhi (home to the gallery from 2003 to 2020) with his solo show. Entitled “A small village, around the corner, up in a mountain,” Gupta’s exhibition will include sculptures, paintings, and wall reliefs, all created in the past few years. The works in the exhibition continue with Gupta’s provocative investigations into the associations of common objects, realized as complex free-standing sculptures, wall reliefs, and paintings. Vessels used for cooking that are ubiquitous throughout India remain the artist’s basic vocabulary but a wide range of other objects now join in the mix, most of which continue to allude to the social stratifications of Indian society. Gupta’s use and depictions of these humble objects act as metaphors for the passage of time, our human condition, the bonds of family and community. His titles for many of these works speak of the discoveries and mysteries associated with travel and the theatre of life.

Subodh Gupta’s works have been exhibited in solo exhibitions in prestigious museums and venues such as Monnaie de Paris (2018); Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, UK (2017); Art Basel, Switzerland (2017), The Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC (2017); National Gallery of Victoria, Australia (2016); Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany (2014); Kunstmuseum Thun, Switzerland (2013); Kiran Nadar Museum, New Delhi (2012); and the Sara Hildén Art Museum, Tampere, Finland (2011). His mid-career survey, curated by Germano Celant, was held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi in 2012, where his monumental sculpture “People Tree” is permanently installed on the front lawns, facing the India Gate. Solo shows of his works have been hosted by the gallery Hauser & Wirth in London, New York, and Somerset UK and by the Galeria Continua in San Gimignano, Italy and Paris, France.

 

NATURE MORTE

Founded in New York's East Village in 1982 and closed in 1988, Peter Nagy revived Nature Morte in New Delhi in 1997 as a commercial gallery and a curatorial experiment. In the early years, Nature Morte became

synonymous in India with challenging and experimental forms of art; championing conceptual, lens-based, and installation genres and representing a generation of Indian artists who went on to international exposure. Today, Nature Morte is the leader in its field in India with increasing visibility around the world, representing many of the most accomplished contemporary artists working in India today, fostering the most promising new talents, and introducing the works of international artists to the country.

The gallery now has two exhibition spaces in New Delhi: the main gallery is located at the Dhan Mill complex in the Chhatarpur area, in a 400-square-meter space on the ground floor at the center of the complex. In addition, a secondary gallery is in the neighborhood of Vasant Vihar, measuring 70-square-meters and used for smaller shows. The Vasant Vihar space also houses the gallery’s offices, private viewing rooms, and expanded storage. Mumbai is not the first space for Nature Morte outside of New Delhi: previously the gallery has maintained multiple branches in various locations: Berlin (2008-2014), Kolkatta (with BosePacia from 2006-2009), and at the Oberoi Gurgaon hotel (2011-2014).

The artists represented by the gallery are active throughout the world and their works have been exhibited in and acquired by many of the most prestigious museums: in New York (Museum of Modern Art, P.S. One, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim); London (Tate Modern, Hayward Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, Courtauld Institute, The Serpentine Gallery); Paris (Centre Pompidou, La Monnaie, Musee Guimet, Palais de Tokyo); Tokyo (Mori Art Museum); Chicago (The Art Institute, Museum of Contemporary Art); Hong Kong (M+); Venice (La Biennale, Fondazione Prada, Punta della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi); Australia (National Gallery inCanberra, Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney), among many others. Nature Morte was the first gallery from India to be included in the most important international art fairs (starting with The Armory Show in New York in 2005) and has participated in Art Basel, Fiac Paris, Art Basel Miami Beach, Paris Photo, Art Dubai, Tokyo Art Fair, Art Basel Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and Frieze London and New York, among others. Nature Morte has also organized projects and exhibitions with international artists coming to India and combining their works with those of Indian artists to foster cross-cultural communications. In addition to its own programming, Nature Morte has collaborated with institutions in India such as the British Council, the Alliance Francais, the Sanskriti Foundation, the India International Centre, the India Habitat Centre, Max Mueller Bhavan, the Italian Culture Institute, Khoj International Artists Association, the Kochi/Muziris Biennial, Pro Helvetia, the National Gallery of Modern Art in both New Delhi and Mumbai, the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and the CSMVS Museum (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum) in Mumbai, and the Museum of Art &Photography (MAP) in Bangalore.

 

The Owners

 

C (born 1959, Bridgeport, CT, USA) was co-founder (along with Alan Belcher) of Gallery Nature Morte in New York's East Village in 1982, where it continued until 1988. Nature Morte represented artists such as Steven Parrino, Gretchen Bender, Not Vital, Ken Lum, Julia Wachtel, and Jennifer Bolande, in addition to mounting solo project shows of important artists such as Vito Acconci, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, Keith Sonnier, Ross Bleckner, Richard Pettibone, Allan McCollum, and Laurie Simmons. The third gallery to open in what was then New York’s frontier art neighborhood, Nature Morte exhibited the work of many artists early in their careers including Robert Gober, Haim Steinbach, James Welling, and Cady Noland.

 

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York (1981) with a BFA in Communication Design, Nagy's art was represented in the 1980s by International With Monument in the East Village and later with Jay Gorney Modern Art in Soho. Solo exhibitions of his art in the latter half of the 1980s happened in Los Angeles (Margo Leavin Gallery), Cologne (Jablonka Galerie), Milan (Studio Guenzani), London (Edward Totah Gallery) and Paris (Galerie Georges-Phillipe and Natalie Vallois) and his works have been included in important group exhibitions in museums such as the Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London. Currently, he is represented by Magenta Plains in New York, who collaborated with Jeffrey Deitch to mount a survey exhibition of his black-and-white works made in New York from 1982 to 1992 at Deitch’s New York gallery space in 2020. His art works are in the collections of the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum in New York and the Menil Collection of Houston, among other institutions. Based in New Delhi since 1992, Nagy’s writings on contemporary art have been published in a wide variety of publications, from international magazines to museum and gallery catalogs.

 

Aparajita Jain (born 1980, Kolkata, India) is the co-director of Nature Morte since 2013, when she bought a controlling interest in the gallery, assimilating into its roster some of the artists represented by Seven Arts Limited, the gallery she previously owned that focussed on discovering young talent, among whom were Asim Waqif and Martand Khosla.

Aparajita, along with her husband Gaurav Jain, was a founding/council member of Harvard University's South Asia Arts Council, representing Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, established to connect South Asia's curators, museum administrators, artists, and art educators with Harvard faculty. She was listed as one of 50 iconic Indian gallerists by Platform magazine and played an active role in the Vogue Women's Empowerment Campaign. She was listed as one among eight influential women in the Indian art world by ARTSY, one of 30 influential women in the art world by ELLE magazine, and amongst the top 100 creative by Harper’s Bazaar. She was recently awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by FICCI FLO for her contribution to art and is currently on the advisory board of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She has anchored, along with Peter Nagy, a television series called Art Insider on NDTV.

In 2010, Aparajita Jain founded The Saat Saath Arts Foundation, envisioning it as a not-for-profit initiative meant to foster a platform for creative dialogue between Indian artists and the international art world. The foundation has received international acclaim for its Curatorial Research Grant program, conceived along with Diana Campbell, artistic director of the Dhaka Art Summit, which endows international curators with resources to extend their research on the Indian art scene, thus nurturing a vital exchange of knowledge between India and the rest of the world. The first recipients of the grant, Laura Raicovich (Director of Global Initiatives, Creative Time, NY), Mari Spirito (Founding Director of Protocinema, Istanbul/New York), Lauren Cornell (Curator, 2015 Triennial, Digital Projects and Museum as Hub), and Dr. Helen Pheby (Senior Curator, Yorkshire Sculpture Park,UK) visited India in 2013 and 2014. The foundation helped customise their itineraries to suit their research interests,while providing them with resources to ensure an efficient and productive trip. In 2015, Catherine David (Deputy Director, Centre Pompidou, Paris) and Dieter Roelstraete (at the time on the team of dOCUMENTA14) were awarded the grant to nurture their ongoing research on contemporary Indian artists. The foundation also supports exhibitions by Indian artists, most recently responsible for the mounting of Jitish Kallat's poetic piece, Covering

Letter, at the CSMVS (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum) in Mumbai and the exhibition "Matter," featuring the work of Bharti Kher at Vancouver Art Gallery. SSA launched India’s first public Sculpture Park for contemporary art in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan in 2017, where it continues inside the Nahargarh Fort of Jaipur today.

January 19th to March 9th, 2024

 Gallery Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11am to 7pm. Closed on Sundays.

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Mumbai

Dhanraj Mahal, Block A, Third Floor Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai 400 001

Monday through Saturday: 11am to 7pm

Website: www.naturemorte.com

Instagram: @naturemorte_delhi

Facebook: Nature Morte

X: @Nature Morte

“MEDITATION” Art An Instrument Solo Show of Paintings By Renowned artist Sanjay Sable in Jehangir

Meditation – Art An Instrument

Recent work of a versatile renowned contemporary artist, Sanjay Sable in Acrylic colours on canvas will be showcased in a solo art exhibition in Jehangir Art Gallery, AC – 2, M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001 from 23 to 29 January 2024. It will be open for free public viewing there daily between 11 am to 7 pm.  This exhibition will reveal the outcome of the painstaking efforts taken by the artist to incorporate subtle nuances of Meditation – as an instrument in his creative endeavours in order to enlighten the viewers with newer perspectives of the thematic peculiarities in the relevant arenas of visual fine arts. This will be his 5th solo art exhibition in Jehangir Art Gallery.

Artist: Sanjay Sable

This show will be inaugurated on 23rd January 2024 at 4pm by Chief Guest Mr. Chandrashekhar Sudhakar Deshmukh Sectional Engineer, High Court Section, P.W.D. Mumbai. Guest of Honour Mr. Vishwanath Sabale Dean of Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, Mrs. Hina Bhatt Founder/Director: Hina Bhatt Art Ventires / Hina Bhatt Art Foundation, Nitin Jadia Art Collector.

Sanjay Sable hails from Osmanabad (now called Dharashiva).  He had his art education at Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya Latur, Abhinava Kala Mahavidyalay. Pune and Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai. He has been a faculty member at Chitrakala Mahavidyalay, Nashik since 2003. He has showcased his earlier thematic works in various art galleries at Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Alibaug, Chandigarh, Nashik, Kolkata, Aurangabad etc., and received overwhelming public response and appreciations for his work.  He is a proud recipient of several prizes, awards and appreciations from prestigious art promotional institutions at Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Dhule, Amritsar, Ratnagiri etc.  His works are in proud collection of many renowned art collectors in India and abroad.  An active participant in several art camps, workshops organised by reputed art promotional institutions all over the country, he has also showcased his thematic work in some International art exhibitions at Dubai, Bangladesh, Washington – USA etc., and earned warm public appreciations from the art fraternity for his thematic work.  He has presented 54 works in this exhibition for public viewing and the largest sizes of artworks in this show are of 15ft x 4.5 ft and 12ft x 6ft.

 Acrylic on canvas

The present series in Acrylic colours on canvas illustrate s his transformative thematic perceptions on Meditation – Art An Instrument in the unique expressive style and techniques. He has assimilated various transformations in his style and techniques during the experimentations at different stages and ultimately incorporated their transformed versions in his work in order to render perfection in visual perspectives and various forms of ingredients to accommodate the desired visual effects in them. As a result, his works in these norms and perspectives do represent his newer aesthetic prerogative and    conceptualization along with the technical excellence achieved in artistically and aesthetically adorning the works with desired visual parameters in the apt perspectives of fine art.  His paintings reveal an outcome of the total human involvement in his work with free and relaxed mind that is totally unbiased and unprejudised. The fruit of meditation of an artist in achieving unbiased results and outcomes from his endeavors bear true testimony to his sincerity, total dedication to work and an inherent urge to adorn the outcomes with the desired perspectives of divine effects of sublimity, rhythm and ecstasy in the apt arenas of visual fine arts.  With these instruments of meditation along with an experience of about 2 decades in rendering his yeomen services propagation of visual fine arts, Sanjay Sable has created and presented this unique series of artwork that truly illustrates his complete command over the medium and techniques used as well as his positive and optimistic as well as rational approach to incorporate numerous supportive ingredients on a divine and spiritual plane in the work so as to enhance its visual glory and picturesqueness in the desired perspectives. 

Acrylic on canvas

All works in this series in abstract forms reveal his sound and firm mindset and an eagerness to enlighten all with the newer perspectives of his transformative forms of art work which have the peculiar effect of divine sublimity, eternity and rhythmic ecstasy in them at strategic arenas. 

 Press Release

From: 23rd to 29th January 2024, “MEDITATION” Art An Instrument

Solo Show of Paintings, By Renowned artist Sanjay Sable

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery161-B, M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001 Timing: 11am to 7pm

Layered Meanings - Ten leading Contemporary Artists Gallery Beyond Curated by Vibhuraj Kapoor

Layered Meanings - Ten leading Contemporary  Artists 

 

“The Legacy” An Exhibition of Photographs by veteran photojournalist Mukesh Parpiani

Legendary photojournalist Mukesh Parpiani’s need to chronicle the unusual began at a very young age when he first began to help his brother. His elder brother who was fascinated by photography, had a darkroom at home, and Mukesh used to wash his prints. Gradually, he began to work towards achieving this dream. He enrolled at the Pillai School of Photography (1969-1970), after which, he worked in wedding and travel photography. During this brief stint, he realised that his city has so many intermingled narratives to offer, whose ever-evolving nature is simply waiting to be chronicled.

Mukesh Parpiani

In 1981, Russi Karanjia, the Editor of The Daily, a morning newspaper in Bombay, offered him a job as their photographer.At The Daily, Parpiani photographed many political leaders and celebrities. Due to this, he became a familiar name in the journalism fraternity. Viveck Goenka, the Chairman and Managing Director of The Indian Express, who had been following Parpiani’s work and career, saw potential in his vision. Eventually, he decided to recruit Parpiani as the photo editor of The Indian Express’ seventeen editions. During his time there, he covered historical events of significance nationally and internationally.Mid-Day, an afternoon tabloid, who noticed Parpiani’s work as a photojournalist and editor, decided to offer him a job as the photo editor. It was the beginning of many things - the turn of the century as well as the tectonic shift of photographic technologies. Tariq Ansari, the Managing Director of the newspaper, gave Parpiani the liberty to develop the department as he needed. Parpiani, upon recognising the dawn of DSLRs, requested Ansari to acquire them for the photo department. Under his tutelage, many young individuals became renowned documentary photographers and photojournalists.

Parpiani curated his first photo exhibition in March 1989 at Piramal Art Gallery of NCPA. His penchant for curating photography exhibition gave him the opportunity to continue even after his retirement at the age of 58.

In 2009, Khushroo Suntook, Chairman of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), offered him to head the Piramal Art Gallery. Suntook had been familiar with Parpiani’s work and entrusted him with the running of the gallery. For 14 years, Parpiani has single-handedly nurtured and educated the next generation of photographers. He has organised over 250 talks, workshops, exhibitions, and seminars to disseminate photography.

Parpiani has touched countless lives with his photographs while reforming countless more as a mentor. His strengths and humanity lie in his ability to mould the way we perceive Bombay, while his sensitivity and perceptiveness conquer the hearts of those fortunate individuals who have, knowingly or coincidentally, crossed paths with him 

Press Release

From: 17th to 30th January 2024

“The Legacy” An Exhibition of Photographs by veteran photojournalist Mukesh Parpiani

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery,

Terrace Gallery,

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001.

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 8108003311