Impulses at Vadehra Art Gallery is about establishing commonality of imagination despite different approaches
In a white sari and greeting everyone with a smile, curator Shivangi Singh attempted a tactile experience, letting her collection do the talking with colours. “Though the artists have different forms of expressing themselves, I wanted them to bond despite their differences,” she told us, explaining the concept behind Impulses, a group exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery.
The show attempted an inter-generational conversation, exploring affinities and links between different works in different media. The curator wanted to highlight how each work could have more than the intended meaning when placed in relation to each other.
We liked the work of Shilpa Gupta, who used simple blue ink unlike the wide array of colours used by others. She asked 100 people belonging to five different countries to draw the continent, state or country in which they lived as they imagined it to be. She combined them all, making a complete picture. “The artist basically wanted to encapsulate the different ways in which people think about their territory or state. Though each one of them thinks very differently from the other, once they are linked together, the result is what we are watching here — a complete nation or territory,” Singh said.
Other artists like Aruna Rao presented her work, Say, Trace and Write, by using graphite pencils on paper. She has used words and language to express her idea. Her artistry explores the tension between languages as a tool of learning and ultimately becoming a construct to unlearn.
One of the artists from Netherlands, Juul Kraijere, who has been working with the body as the predominant theme of her works, showcased its close relation with earth and nature. For example, a stunning white human torso wound itself up into a “tree of life” against a black background. “Whenever I look at it, I personally derive a lot of peace and satisfaction within me. Its beauty increased manifold with every glance,” confided fellow artist Shilpa.
Other than linking the human body with nature, artists like Gipin Varghese highlighted the loving relation shared by tribals and nature. Her clear inspiration was the tree-hugging and deer-loving Bishnoi tribe of Rajasthan.
“This work changes your idea about the relation that we humans share with nature. Destroyers and preservers of creation co-exist,” shared Singh. Varghese also mounted sculptures of tribals as denizens who could be worshipped and put on a pedestal. “In our culture, we have a practice of worshipping idols. And these faceless, committed people surely deserve some respect,” said Singh.