Guest blogger, Hena Kapadia recommends an exhibition on Indian abstraction in Mumbai

Mumbai: Earlier this week, the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation opened its third show entitled “Nothing is Absolute: A Journey through Abstraction.” The show has been thoughtfully curated by Ranjit Hoskote and Mehlli Gobhai at the foundation’s permanent gallery space at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (CSMVS). The artists whose works are on display include S.H. Raza, Laxman Shrestha, V.S. Gaitonde, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar and Gobhai. The show pushes our conceptions of the boundaries of Indian abstraction by including works like 17th century Islamic tiles from the CSMVS permanent collection along with the selection of modern abstract works from the Foundation’s collection.The layered interpretation of Indian abstraction as well as the inclusion older works, usually unmentioned in this modern context, make this a show a must see.

This show underscored another interesting facet of recent art exhibitions: dual curation. The challenges and conversations that come with collaborative curation were discussed at the opening by Mr. Gobhai, an artist, and Mr. Hoskote, a poet, independent curator and critic, and both indicated that working together was more helpful in producing a well rounded and nuanced exhibition.

Read more about the exhibition.

Hena Kapadia is a Mumbai based art professional, who has a Master’s Degree in Modern and Contemporary Art World Practice.