Dr Tarana Khubchandani: ‘Come back to the gallery, find out about the artists’
- Art Featured
Schenelle Dsouza- 11 minutes read
Schenelle Dsouza
In an effort to unite artists and art lovers from different genres, Dr. Tarana Khubchandani – Director of Gallery Art & Soul, Mumbai and veteran artist Brinda Miller respectively curated and mentored the Art of India exhibition initiated by Times of India.
The initiative aims to make art more accessible and democratic via a showcase of over 150 artworks by a diverse group of Indian artists, both newcomers and veteran artists. The exhibition took place in Mumbai between March 19-25 and is slated to take place in New Delhi from April 7-13.
The impressive line-up features artworks of artists spanning eight decades, paying tribute to those who laid the foundation of the art culture in India when it was still nascent. The exhibition includes a mix of works from artists like Sujata Bajaj whose works represent abstracted gestures to the late Akbar Padamsee’s works; Sheetal Gattani’s earthy textured paintings with a minimalist vocabulary and Bose Krishnamachari’s unrivalled Ghost series, among others.
With paintings, sculptural works in different media, hand-woven art carpets, video projections, 3D walkthroughs, and an array of workshops, the Art of India exhibition brings Indian art to the centre stage of the cultural landscape, while giving art lovers the opportunity to experience, connect and collect pieces from different genres of art. Talking to LuxeBook, Dr. Tarana shared her thoughts on the exhibition, the art industry and the effects of the pandemic on Indian art culture.
Can you tell us about the lineup for this year’s The Art of India exhibition?
We began our curation in mid-December and we wanted to create a pantheon of contemporary artists. We also wanted to include some of the younger names ensuring these were good-quality works. And so, we sent our team out to studios and had them pick out books of some of the younger artists. After selecting these, we approached some of the senior artists.
So the space is very challenging; there are three galleries and it’s actually a studio space. We wanted to create an experience with colour and light. One gallery is completely white, the other is grey and brick – very organic looking and the third space is very dark. We wanted the whole experience of the art connoisseur to transition from one to the next. So we chose artists who we felt would create large works for the spaces and had a showstopper artwork in each room.
Aside from paintings, we also included film production and sculptures. We made several trips to their studios to pick elements that would make a dramatic effect as well as add substance. For example, we spoke to an artist in London who spoke about farmers’ suicide and grain as a commodity between countries and different geographical boundaries but yet a cause of war. We wanted to highlight some social issues through the exhibition that are universal, similar to this.
Can you tell me about the theme – Inclusion & Diversity?
Sticking to the theme of Inclusion and Diversity, we chose diverse mediums and artists of different genres, getting it all together under one roof. We’ve included many workshops and programs, all of which are pretty different from each other yet come together on one panorama. So we’ve taken this space and what the artist has given us and played around with it to create some drama. The pieces too are high-quality works. So it wasn’t just about picking an artist because we liked his work. Instead, we picked out his best work which was very important for Art of India and for us.
What is the Forgotten Series?
So there is an artist named Naval Jijina. He’s a student of fine art and a contemporary of V.S. Gaitonde. He used to train as a Parsi priest for a while but then moved on to pursue a career in art. His works are aerial deconstructed landscapes. But his art never sold; it was one of those things that just went under the radar. So we met him and spoke to him and realised he doesn’t even want to be out there. He was just happy to share his work, he allowed us to take it and said, “If someone comes and sees my work, even at the age of 94, it’ll give me pleasure. I don’t want money I don’t anything, I just don’t want to be forgotten.” And I realised that so often, we see the work, but never the man behind the canvas. Earlier, when people would come to visit, they’d want to know more about the work and about the artist.
Opening days were energising and inspiring for both the artist as well as the art collector because there was conversation, communication and understanding of the deeper philosophies of art. And somehow during the covid period, we seem to have lost that; it’s more about the work, people wondering about the size, colour palette, and so on. We’ve sent out so many invites because we want people to come and see and experience art. That is what the exhibition is about, come back to the gallery, come find out about the artists that form the cultural society.
Do you think the pandemic was behind this?
The pandemic has had both positive and negative effects. Negative because like every other social strata, the industry did suffer from loneliness and isolation. But the thing is, artists anyway work in isolation. We tried to connect with artists during the pandemic, asking them how it (the pandemic) affected them. And many of them said that they’re used to it. But it went on for too long. And so they had that sense of being away from society and felt loneliness because no one was going out during the pandemic. So somehow that genre of artists aged.
But the good part was that people began to look at art virtually and they started to buy art online. And so many young, budding artists were able to sell their works online, through social media platforms which paved a new way of communication for art lovers, the younger ones. So that divide is there.
The other good thing was that auction houses really took off. Internationally, Indian art is still a little nascent but now Indian artists are showcasing at international art fairs and galleries. Some artists are even beginning to be recognised.
Subodh Gupta was just shown in Paris, Raza retrospective in Paris again, and Bharti Kher’s sculpture in Central Park, New York. A lot of movement internationally. So it has been a positive movement for certain artists.
Do you think the art world is experiencing a kind of evolution with the emergence of digital art?
I think digital art has still not come into prominence. You can judge that from the physical footfalls. Since the (Art of India) exhibition opened, the reaction we’ve received from people who haven’t been to galleries in about three years is immense. So yes, while digital art is making great strides, it is in no way imposing on the fine art field.
How do you hope The Art of India exhibition will impact the art scene in India?
I’m just so happy with the response that the exhibition has received and the fact that it is raising art consciousness in India. It’s not about sales; it’s the excitement and euphoria at being able to see something so interesting and challenging at the same time. I know TOI is very committed to this space, but I think that the exhibition can become an annual, biannual or even a biennale to showcase different genres of artists.
