Artist M Pravat's latest exhibition, Fugitive Dust presents his perspective of the all-encompassing city landscape through multiple media of expression, says Christy Varghese

Established in 2020, Pune’s latest contemporary art gallery, Vida Heydari Contemporary (VHC) has been hosting an exhibition entitled Fugitive Dust from March 6, this year. The title tickles our curiosity and while looking for more details, we understand that the gallery has an online viewing room. While scrolling through the works of M Pravat, we are intrigued by the numerous mediums of expression showcased during the exhibition, curated by Sabih Ahmed.

The show features artworks and studies from Pravat’s practice spanning from 2016 to 2021 that include sculptural installations, paintings, drawings, collage works and prints. Bringing together a range of media such as brick, dust, slate, wood, metal, ink, graphite, pigment and paper, Pravat’s art practice utilises materials that draw on his experiences of the built environment.

Created from the vantage point of someone living in the ever-expanding and ever-intensifying city of Delhi, the materials deployed in Pravat’s works offer not so much an integrated image of a contemporary urbanscape but a disintegration of it with blueprints, maps, architectural and geological landmasses superimposed against each other.

Pravat is kind enough to spare some time for a phone call before his guest lecture on the design of aesthetics at an architectural college.

“I live in Chattarpur and in my locality, we have numerous construction sites. The clutter surrounding these sites, the debris, the raw material, has been an inspiration. The clutter pushes me to create something new. My art practice over the years has been an attempt to capture and play with the state of things being constantly under construction. I am interested in how they take on new forms when they interact with other materials and processes, and what happens when they disintegrate and get reintegrated into other forms. When you see urban environments in this way, everything starts appearing fluid even though the materials are solid. However, yes, you may say that I am obsessed with construction sites,” he laughs.

Pravat, who believes that art offers optimistic thoughts in these uncertain times, has had his works presented in solo and group exhibitions, biennales and art fairs in Colombo, Delhi, Dubai, Mumbai, New York, Seoul and Zurich over the years.

When we express our curiosity regarding the title for the exhibition, he explains, “It was the curator's call. The title was borne out of conversations I shared with Sabih. He has been following my work for several years and visited the studio on numerous occasions during the months we spent preparing for the exhibition. I had expressed my thoughts on how the dust that rises from construction sites and demolition drives never settles. It thickens the air we breathe, forms clouds in the sky, sediments into the earth’s crust and flows into water bodies before returning to construction sites in some form or the other. And if you could have seen the studio (chuckles thoughtfully), our work would end with dust flying everywhere. And I could not help but express how the studio seemed to be a reflection of the city landscape.”

 Keeping in mind the various media employed in the exhibition, we ask him which would be his favourite mode of his expression. “Hmm. Well, I studied painting during my graduation and post-graduation years, so I definitely have a soft corner for it. However, lately, I am obsessed with bricks. It is the most basic building block of all construction material, a universal element of architecture as it provides stability. Brickwork is... interesting, to say the least. It is brittle yet long-lasting, this sensitive in-between-ness is what intrigues me. I even use brick dust as a type of pigment in my works. It did take some getting used to, though. To work with this material, I had to change my entire studio infrastructure,” shares Pravat.

Currently working on an elaborate piece for a large, private space, he reveals that he has some shows in store for the near future.

The exhibition will be showcased till August 8, however, keeping in mind the prolonged lockdowns, it might be extended, informs Pravat. In the meanwhile, those of you who would love to witness his creations, feel free to schedule a 30 minute slot at the gallery’s website.