State of the Art

The Saffronart Blog

Posts tagged with Mumbai

“Barbed Floss” at The Guild in Mumbai

August 10, 2013

Elizabeth Prendiville of Saffronart shares a note about the Guild Art Gallery’s latest group show, documenting the cultural ramifications of borders

Barbed Floss, Gallery View. The Guild

Barbed Floss, Gallery View. The Guild.

New York: Currently, the Guild Art Gallery in Mumbai is displaying an engaging group show entitled “Barbed Floss”. This exhibition consists of works by five artists from Bangladesh who have shown in a wide range of international institutions. “Barbed Floss” examines the concepts tied to cultural and literal barriers that cut through different parts of our contemporary world. Most specifically, the fifth largest border worldwide, the barbed wire fence separating Bangladesh and India.

Barbed Floss, Gallery View. The Guild

Barbed Floss, Gallery View. The Guild

The title “Barbed Floss” utilizes the literal and interpretive meanings of these two opposing terms. “Borders on land are made up of barbed wire fencing and high walls, extreme military security, extreme emotional insecurity. The word floss behaves as a thorough cleanser with a fine thread, which removes, cleanses and frees blockages”. Curated by Veeranganakumari Solanki this exhibition discusses the limitations, miscommunications and conflicts that come about in these neighbouring communities simply by the virtue of this physical divide.The Guild has chosen Tayeba Begum Lipi, Mahbubur Rahman, Promotesh Das Pulak, Molla Sagar and Anisuzzaman Sohel for this examination of cultural limitations. Each artist takes a unique approach to this subject matter. Some works reflect literal interpretations, others more theoretical and possible solutions for these issues. Personal, third person and political narratives can be seen through each individual work. This is their first time their work is being shown together in this format.

The Guild specializes in Indian Contemporary Art. Their programming stresses a commitment to artist/curator dialogue and encourages experimentation and conceptual creativity. The Guild was founded in 1997 as most recently has expanded its artist representation to international artists. “Barbed Floss” will run at the Guild Art Gallery through September 30, 2013.

For more information visit The Guild’s website.

stART&D: A New Digital Platform for Contemporary Indian Art and Design

May 29, 2013

Nishad Avari shares a note about this new, exciting initiative, and offers a sneak peek of one of its first projects – a film on Shilpa Gupta’s ‘I Live Under Your Sky Too’

stART&DMumbai: Scheduled to launch later this year, with a host of interesting content focusing on contemporary Indian art, design and culture, stART&D is an inventive, edgy digital platform created by Anita Horam and Mozez Singh that will promote, produce and present all forms of arts and design that  represent “India cool”. stART&D promises a digital magazine, public exhibitions and more through Indian and international collaborations and partnership programs.

Their first project is a video presentation on the public installation of Shilpa Gupta’s site specific animated light work, ‘I Live Under Your Sky Too’, in Mumbai. This project was curated by Diana Campbell of the Creative India Foundation, who is also one of our guest bloggers.

Gupta’s piece was first installed in front of the Arabian Sea at Carter Road in Bandra, Mumbai, and is currently on view in the courtyard of Phoenix Mills mall at Lower Parel, Mumbai. First created in 2011, this piece has been exhibited at indoor and outdoor locations around the world, including in the exhibition ‘All You Need is Love’ at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo this year.

Here is stART&D’s video on the installation:

 

Stay tuned for more information on stART&D.

To learn more about Shilpa Gupta’s installation, see the Creative India Foundation website and their Facebook page.

BMW Guggenheim Lab: Mumbai

December 20, 2012

Medha Kapur of Saffronart shares a note on the BMW Guggenheim Lab’s latest outpost in Mumbai.

BMW Guggenheim LabMumbai: A collaboration between the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the BMW Group, the BMW Guggenheim Lab is a travelling mobile laboratory intended to heighten urban consciousness. This well-meaning project began its journey in 2011 in New York, and will visit eight other cities worldwide. Part urban think tank, part community center and public gathering space, the Lab is a global initiative that gets people involved in and inspired about urban planning, art and ideas that will better their environment and community. The project is led by international, interdisciplinary teams of emerging talents in the areas of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability.

The theme for the BMW Guggenheim Lab’s first two years is Confronting Comfort. The Lab will explore how urban environments can be made more responsive to people’s needs, how people can feel more at ease in urban environments, and how to find a balance between notions of modern comfort and the urgent need for environmental and social responsibility.

After hitting the streets of New York and Berlin, the Lab arrived in Mumbai in December 2012 and will run through January 20, 2013. Organized in collaboration with the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the Lab will feature free programs including film screenings, tours, talks, and design projects at the museum and at multiple sites throughout the city.

The Mumbai Lab Team, an international group of experts and innovators, has created a series of projects, studies, and design proposals that reflect Mumbai’s unique conditions and challenges, in addition to neighborhood-specific public programming in satellite locations. The Lab Team includes Aisha Dasgupta, a British demographer based in Malawi; Neville Mars, a Dutch architect based in China; Trupti Amritwar Vaitla, an architect and urban transport designer from Mumbai; and Héctor Zamora, a Mexican artist based in Brazil who works extensively in public space.

Aisha Dasgupta, Neville Mars, Hector Zamora, Trupti Amritwar Vaitla.Image Coutesy: http://www.bmwguggenheimlab.org/

Aisha Dasgupta, Neville Mars, Hector Zamora, Trupti Amritwar Vaitla.
Image Coutesy: http://www.bmwguggenheimlab.org/

Mumbaikars keep an eye out for the activities organised as part of this incredible, interactive venture. In the long run it is very important for us to speak up and think about our city much more!