Nandini Valli Muthiah, Iconic poet and Father, 2008,from the series Fancy Dress, courtesy of the artist
03.09 – 06.11
The Generation in Transition exhibition presents the artworks of a young generation of artists of Indian origin, living and working in India, as well as in America and Europe. It is the first extensive showcase of contemporary art from this region presented in Central Europe in recent years. For about twenty years now, India has been experiencing an enormous economic and technological development, which has had a substantial impact on social structures. This change, with its positive and negative aspects, is frequently reflected in the works of contemporary artists, especially in those of the youngest ones who have grown up in these interesting times of transition.
The title of the show is borrowed from the title of a photographic series by Anay Mann, who makes portraits of his contemporaries – “an urban generation that is constantly seeking to define itself”, trying to find their place between local tradition and history, and the more and more globalized and technicized reality they live in.
Over the last ten years, contemporary art from India has become very popular. Big group exhibitions have so far been shown in Europe, the United States and China. Private galleries – mostly from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore – have built a local art-market and became important players on the international scene. Non-commercial organizations – such as KHOJ and the SARAI Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi and 1 Shanti Road in Bangalore, as well as art-schools are opening up spaces for independent ideas and projects.
The show in Poland concentrates on young artists (including some from the diaspora) in an attempt to grasp the state of mind and spirit of their generation. At the exhibition are to be found not only previously existing works, but also projects created especially for the show. The exhibition presents a wide range of artists, with different concerns and modes of artistic expression. These have been configured in several important themes: tradition/ritual/costume; portraits; city/change/architecture, society; science and technology in art; politics/identity/social activism; and Polish-Indian cultural relations. Contemporary ideas are expressed through both traditional and modern media: photography, film, video installation, sculpture, drawing, painting and animation.
Artists invited to participate in the exhibition: Jaishri Abichandani, Prayas Abhinav, Ravi Agarwal, Ashish Avikunthak, Sarnath Banerjee, Devendra Banhart, Ansuman Biswas & Jem Finer, Nikhil Chopra, Baptist Coelho, Shezad Dawood, Rohini Devasher, Gauri Gill, Shilpa Gupta, Tushar Joag, Vishwas Kulkarni, Swati Khurana, Anay Mann, Rakhi Peswani, Prajakta Potnis, Prasad Raghavan, Gitanjali Rao, Akshay Rathore, Malik Sajad, Sharmila Samant, Mithu Sen, Charmi Gada Shah, Tejal Shah, Yashas Shetty, Bharat Sikka, Janek Simon, Praneet Soi, Kiran Subbaiah, Anup Mathew Thomas, Navin Thomas, Nandini Valli Muthiah
Following its presentation in Zachęta, the exhibition is be shown in the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius.
curator Magda Kardaszcooperation: Anna Tomczak, Magdalena Komornicka, Sebastian Gawłowski
strategic partner Centrum Dobrego Obrazusponsor of the exhibition PERI
partner of the exhibition British Councilsponsors of the gallery: Lidex, Netiasponsors of the opening ceremony: Mandala, DeLonghi, Kenwwod, A.Blikle, Freixenet, Kinga Pienińska
media patronage: Gazeta Wyborcza, AMS, TOK FM, Polityka, The Warsaw Voice, Stolica, Art&Business, Artinfo.pl
