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From aural experiments to graphic storytelling, these new exhibitions pack surprises this month

5 art shows in August that play with mediums of expression

From aural experiments to graphic storytelling, these new exhibitions pack surprises this month

This month, galleries and museums across India push the envelope with mediums and expressions that aren’t confined to just the visual element, but employ different sensorial experiences that open up a world of creative wonders.

Reflecting the Self: Group ShowCurated by Tunty Chauhan and Deeksha Nath, Reflecting the Self is a group exhibition celebrating Gallery Threshold’s 25th anniversary. It showcases the works of 35 inter-generational artists who have an ongoing relationship with the gallery, exploring the theme of how self-portraiture unites the diversity of their practices, as encouraged by the gallery.The artists featured include Achia Anzi, Amit Ambalal, Anindita Bhattacharya, Anjolie Ela Menon, Anju Dodiya, Anupam Sood, Atul Dodiya, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Dilip Ranade, G.R. Iranna, Gargi Raina, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Indrapramit Roy, Jayashree Chakravarty, Jyoti Bhatt, K.G. Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, Manisha Gera Baswani, Manjunath Kamath, Pandit Khairnar, Paramjit Singh, Priya Ravish Mehra, Rahul Inamdar, Rajendar Tiku, Rajendra Dhawan, Rameshwar Broota, Shanthi Swaroopini, Shobha Broota, Sudhir Patwardhan, Sumakshi Singh, Surinder T. Vaikuntam, Todo Paintal, V. Ramesh and Vasundhara Tewari Broota.Where: Bikaner House, New DelhiWhen: 19-28 August

Reflecting the Self: Group Show

Curated by Tunty Chauhan and Deeksha Nath, Reflecting the Self is a group exhibition celebrating Gallery Threshold’s 25th anniversary. It showcases the works of 35 inter-generational artists who have an ongoing relationship with the gallery, exploring the theme of how self-portraiture unites the diversity of their practices, as encouraged by the gallery.

The artists featured include Achia Anzi, Amit Ambalal, Anindita Bhattacharya, Anjolie Ela Menon, Anju Dodiya, Anupam Sood, Atul Dodiya, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Dilip Ranade, G.R. Iranna, Gargi Raina, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Indrapramit Roy, Jayashree Chakravarty, Jyoti Bhatt, K.G. Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, Manisha Gera Baswani, Manjunath Kamath, Pandit Khairnar, Paramjit Singh, Priya Ravish Mehra, Rahul Inamdar, Rajendar Tiku, Rajendra Dhawan, Rameshwar Broota, Shanthi Swaroopini, Shobha Broota, Sudhir Patwardhan, Sumakshi Singh, Surinder T. Vaikuntam, Todo Paintal, V. Ramesh and Vasundhara Tewari Broota.

Where: Bikaner House, New Delhi

When: 19-28 August

In Between the NotesThe exhibition builds on sonic experiences and aural memories through works of Lala Rukh, Parul Thacker, Superhero Sighting Society (Taus Makhacheva & Sabih Ahmed), Biraaj Dodiya and Samson Young. The artworks on display are either directly rooted within sound as material, or are based in aural influences and training.The exhibition aims to build shared spaces of active resonance, driving home the point of how we listen remains rooted to what we hear. From interventionist actions such as performative recordings, to the manifestation of sounds and vibrations in personal memories, to ancient philosophies of classical musical traditions and to contemporary renderings that obscure the lines between fact and fiction, In Between the Notes draws from a wide range of practices and experiments with frequencies.Where: Experimenter, Ballygunge Place, KolkataWhen: 25 August-14 OctoberRepresentative image

In Between the Notes

The exhibition builds on sonic experiences and aural memories through works of Lala Rukh, Parul Thacker, Superhero Sighting Society (Taus Makhacheva & Sabih Ahmed), Biraaj Dodiya and Samson Young. The artworks on display are either directly rooted within sound as material, or are based in aural influences and training.

The exhibition aims to build shared spaces of active resonance, driving home the point of how we listen remains rooted to what we hear. From interventionist actions such as performative recordings, to the manifestation of sounds and vibrations in personal memories, to ancient philosophies of classical musical traditions and to contemporary renderings that obscure the lines between fact and fiction, In Between the Notes draws from a wide range of practices and experiments with frequencies.

Where: Experimenter, Ballygunge Place, Kolkata

When: 25 August-14 October

Representative image

Very Small FeelingsCo-produced by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) and the Samdani Art Foundation (SAF), this is the fourth exhibition under KNMA's multi-part, long-term programme 'Young Artists of Our Times', which was initiated in 2019. The show explores the figure of the child with care, approaching childhood as a place one can visit and leave at will. The exhibition congregates artists, child-artists and visitors to imagine and create environments, architectural spaces and a range of intensities that require introspection in their own terms through play, storytelling, participation and willful engagement. Through the spoken word and the generative space of orality built through the telling and retelling of stories, the exhibition  brings together 42 projects ranging from new commissions, historical works, performances, books, personal and institutional archives, artist's creative prompts turned into installations, and different kinds of landscapes.The artists whose works are on display include Ade Dianita and Aditya Novali, Afrah Shafiq, Afra Eisma, Amitav Ghosh, Salman Toor and Ali Sethi / Junglenama, Anga Art Collective, Anpu Varkey, Chittaprosad, David Horvitz, Ghazaleh Avarzamani, Joydeb Roaja, Ha Bik Chuen, Irushi Tennekoon, Kelly Sinnaphah Mary, Lapdiang Syiem, Matthew Krishanu, Mong Mong Sho, Murari Jha, Neha Choksi, Susanta Mandal, Satyajit Ray and Thao Nguyễn Phan among others.Where: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Saket, New DelhiWhen: Until 27 September

Very Small Feelings

Co-produced by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) and the Samdani Art Foundation (SAF), this is the fourth exhibition under KNMA's multi-part, long-term programme 'Young Artists of Our Times', which was initiated in 2019. 

The show explores the figure of the child with care, approaching childhood as a place one can visit and leave at will. The exhibition congregates artists, child-artists and visitors to imagine and create environments, architectural spaces and a range of intensities that require introspection in their own terms through play, storytelling, participation and willful engagement. Through the spoken word and the generative space of orality built through the telling and retelling of stories, the exhibition  brings together 42 projects ranging from new commissions, historical works, performances, books, personal and institutional archives, artist's creative prompts turned into installations, and different kinds of landscapes.

The artists whose works are on display include Ade Dianita and Aditya Novali, Afrah Shafiq, Afra Eisma, Amitav Ghosh, Salman Toor and Ali Sethi / Junglenama, Anga Art Collective, Anpu Varkey, Chittaprosad, David Horvitz, Ghazaleh Avarzamani, Joydeb Roaja, Ha Bik Chuen, Irushi Tennekoon, Kelly Sinnaphah Mary, Lapdiang Syiem, Matthew Krishanu, Mong Mong Sho, Murari Jha, Neha Choksi, Susanta Mandal, Satyajit Ray and Thao Nguyễn Phan among others.

Where: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Saket, New Delhi

When: Until 27 September

Archipelagic ArchivistAmidst the incessant noise of new construction, it is often forgotten that Mumbai used to be an archipelago of seven islands. The Kolis, indigenous inhabitants of these spaces, steered its vibrant ecology for centuries. In his upcoming solo exhibition at TARQ, artist Parag Tandel, who hails from Thane’s Chendani Koliwada, archives the rich culture of the Kolis alongside networks of kinship between the community and coastal ecosystems.Passing down knowledge through oral documentation, the Kolis have been left out of the process of writing their own history. To confront this historical erasure, Tandel presents new bodies of sculpture that draw from complex traditions of food, fishing and faith. Abstaining from the employment of imperial modes of recording, such as maps and ledgers, the artist instead looks towards the field of affect to create a very specific form of archiving that resonates with the heritage of his people.Where: Tarq, Fort, MumbaiWhen: Until 30 September

Archipelagic Archivist

Amidst the incessant noise of new construction, it is often forgotten that Mumbai used to be an archipelago of seven islands. The Kolis, indigenous inhabitants of these spaces, steered its vibrant ecology for centuries. In his upcoming solo exhibition at TARQ, artist Parag Tandel, who hails from Thane’s Chendani Koliwada, archives the rich culture of the Kolis alongside networks of kinship between the community and coastal ecosystems.

Passing down knowledge through oral documentation, the Kolis have been left out of the process of writing their own history. To confront this historical erasure, Tandel presents new bodies of sculpture that draw from complex traditions of food, fishing and faith. Abstaining from the employment of imperial modes of recording, such as maps and ledgers, the artist instead looks towards the field of affect to create a very specific form of archiving that resonates with the heritage of his people.

Where: Tarq, Fort, Mumbai

When: Until 30 September

The Heart of the MatterA solo show of new works by artist Srishti Rana Menon, The Heart of the Matter showcases her paintings on canvas and watercolours on paper. Menon studied textile design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, and worked in the field for many years, collaborating with some of India’s most famous fashion designers. Her path to the fine arts was intuitive and methodical, allowing the materials and their properties to guide her towards creating her own distinct style and imagery.The paintings begin with a central focus, out of which layered forms find expression. Classical and controlled, they juxtapose simple shapes in precise colours on white surfaces that become charged, straining to contain pigments, which seem chimeric in nature. The watercolours on paper allow the artist to explore an additional amount of freedom and spontaneity.Rana Menon’s artistic vocabulary is closely linked to the seasonal fluctuations of temperature and humidity, as her pigments behave differently under different weather conditions, enabling a wider range of visual idioms to take shape.Where: Nature Morte Gallery, Dhan Mill Compound, New DelhiWhen: Until 9 September

The Heart of the Matter

A solo show of new works by artist Srishti Rana Menon, The Heart of the Matter showcases her paintings on canvas and watercolours on paper. Menon studied textile design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, and worked in the field for many years, collaborating with some of India’s most famous fashion designers. Her path to the fine arts was intuitive and methodical, allowing the materials and their properties to guide her towards creating her own distinct style and imagery.

The paintings begin with a central focus, out of which layered forms find expression. Classical and controlled, they juxtapose simple shapes in precise colours on white surfaces that become charged, straining to contain pigments, which seem chimeric in nature. The watercolours on paper allow the artist to explore an additional amount of freedom and spontaneity.

Rana Menon’s artistic vocabulary is closely linked to the seasonal fluctuations of temperature and humidity, as her pigments behave differently under different weather conditions, enabling a wider range of visual idioms to take shape.

Where: Nature Morte Gallery, Dhan Mill Compound, New Delhi

When: Until 9 September

Also Read: 5 art shows in July that urge you to introspect

Also Read: 5 art exhibitions to bookmark for June

Also Read: How is public art in India changing socio-political perceptions?

Arshia Dhar profile imageArshia Dhar
Arshia Dhar is a writer-editor whose work lies at the intersection of art, culture, politics, gender and environment. She currently heads the print magazine at The Hollywood Reporter India, and has worked at The Established, Architectural Digest, Firstpost, Outlook and NDTV in the past.

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