Art curator and critic Ina Puri hopes that art will go the egalitarian way in 2020 as more Indian artists and curators are expected to collaborate with prestigious galleries internationally and continue to host several interesting art events in the country
The setting was surreal and straight out of a Renaissance painting. The actors were influencers on the art scene, from the capital, each one a prominent member of the Indian art fraternity. We had all gathered on a chilly December evening to play a part in an elaborate project conceptualised by the acclaimed young art practitioner, Vibha Galhotra, for her forthcoming exhibition in February 2020 at the prestigious Jack Shainman Gallery in New York.
If the present year was exceptional for Indian art and artists, 2020 promises even bigger things. Art collections will tend to acquire works from international auctions. Diverse media, mostly found objects (a natural or man-made object, or fragment of an object, that is found by an artist and kept because of some intrinsic interest the artist sees in it) will take up more space at exhibitions and galleries. Various art festivals and biennales will be offering more opportunities to artists from different worlds. I am especially excited to see Bapi Das showcasing alongside international artists at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, curated by Anita Dube.
However, having said that, one must not overlook the major art events of 2019 that brought Indian artists back firmly on the centrestage, internationally. The highlight at the Venice Biennale was, I would like to believe, the Indian Pavilion presented by Roobina Karode and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA). At the biennale, the cavernous space allotted to India was brought alive by the brilliant works of M F Husain and Nandalal Bose, amid the other participants. Each of them contributed with an outstanding artwork that had viewers queuing up for hours yet patiently awaiting their turn. In my own case, I remember, it had been an exceptionally stormy day when I had visited the space at the Biennale, but to my pleasant surprise, it was crowded with art enthusiasts, both young and old, clearly enjoying the exhibition despite the terrible weather.
It has been a significant year for Indian art in more ways than one. Earlier, the DAG had opened its beautifully appointed space in New York, showcasing the works of veteran artists Madhvi Parekh and Anupam Sud, among others. At the new Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), India was represented by the brilliant works of Mrinalini Mukherjee (who had just exhibited at the prestigious MET), Zarina Hashmi, Dayanita Singh and Sheila Gawda. Jayshree Chakravorty had opened to great acclaim at Museum D’Orsay and Ganesh Haloi had received similar glowing reviews in the shows across Europe with Akar Prakar.
The year ended on a great note with the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. I felt this year was especially exciting, given the participation of curators like Jyotindra Jain, Ravi Agarwal, Nancy Adajania, Rahab Allana, Pramod HG and Sudarshan Shetty, who were able to use the spaces given to them most effectively.
As we step into the new year, we hear that DAG’s Drishyakala is gearing up with new shows scheduled to open alongside the India Art Fair. Plans are afoot to open another museum space in Kolkata, in the heritage Currency Building. Against this background, there is a reason to be optimistic about the art scene in the coming year. While Amar Kanwar, K G Subramanyan, Nilima Sheikh and Nalini Malani have already shown at dOCUMENTA 13 and 14, we now have younger artists ready to participate. Among the shows lined up is one at the Nehru Centre curated by Bhavna Kakar, which will bring strong female voices from the chapters of history. Finally, of course, the most exciting art event of next year will be the new edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, curated by Shubigi Rao, opening in December. So, all things considered, there is much to look forward to in the coming year. Not only will Indian artists and curators be collaborating with prestigious galleries internationally but within the country too there will be a host of interesting art events. While the current favourites are MF Husain, FN Souza, SH Raza, VS Gaitonde and Manjit Bawa but 2020 is expected to make more favourites. And while RAQS Media has been making an impact internationally, it will continue to do so in the coming year. Also, there is hope that art will go the egalitarian way at last.