A NEW VANGUARD: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART
ASHUTOSH BHARADWAJ, ABIR KARMAKAR, REMEN CHOPRA, K.P. REJI,
BALAJI PONNA, GIGI SCARIA, KIRAN SUBBAIAH, SATHYANAND MOHAN,
LAVANYA MANI, VED GUPTA, RAKHI PESWANI, LOKESH KHODKE,
SUMEDH RAJENDRAN, PRAJAKTA PALAV AHER, SUNOJ D.,
ARUNKUMAR H.G., VIVEK VILASINI
SEPTEMBER 16 2009 - OCTOBER 1 2009
Preview on Wednesday September 16 2009 at 6:00
The Fuller Building 45 W. 21st Street
595 Madison Avenue, Suite 900 2nd Floor, Suite 39
New York, NY 10022 New York, NY 10010
RSVP: newyork@saffronart.com RSVP: info@theguildny.com
T: 212-627-5006 T: 212-229-2110
Planning and collating this exhibition, the second collaboration between Saffron Art and The Guild, has been a delight and an
important learning experience. Following in the footsteps of our 2004 show, Generation I, it is our endeavor to once again offer
a glimpse of the artists and artworks at the very forefront of India's diverse contemporary art practices.
In his essay for the catalogue Divakar V. explains:
The imperative to title this essay "Band of Outsiders" is surely keeping in mind the famous film of Jean-Luc Godard by the same
name. I am using the film's 'script' as a conceptual framework for the show am using the film itself as a script for structuring my essay.
By freely taking some shots/scenes from the film I would try to put the show in context relevant to my propositions. Since Godard
made this film on the pulp fiction based Hollywood B movies I found it as the most suitable context to write on a show which is
being showcased in America. Like the characters in his film the artists in this show are in many ways outsiders other than really being
'Non-American'...
I would try to investigate the linguistic traits these artists engage with, which may enable us in understanding the concepts and ideas
each of the artist deal with. It seems that all of the artists have a discomfort with the reality being represented around them. There is
also the possibility that event he dissent itself has been institutionalized by the respective christening forces of the market! Might be
there is also the possibility that the stakes being high in the art field, the competence is proved only by rejecting all the consumable
inscriptions the surface generally carries along.
'Here I would no digress anymore on these aspects and let the viewer/readers decide on those for themselves.'
Each work in this exhibition offers a unique perspective on the negotiations and struggles of present day life, across the various
stages on which it lays out, from the intimate to the public, the village to the megalopolis. It has been a pleasure working with the
eighteen artists who have contributed works to the show and it gives us great satisfaction to bring these works to new audiences
outside of India. The works in this exhibition, ranging from large-scale paintings and installations to sculptures and interactive
videos will be shown at both Saffron Art and The Guild in New York. We look forward to welcoming you the Preview on Wednesday
September 16th at Saffron Art from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
