Often the best results are achieved when our thoughts, words and actions are in alignment with the universe and we feel a strong sense of positivity and synchronicity. This holds true even in the sphere of art, which encouraged curator Isha Patodia to present the first art show of Genesis Gallery for this year, ALIGNMENT. Established in Kolkata in 1986, Genesis Gallery is one of the most recognised and reliable art galleries in the city. Started by Rekha Mody and later joined by her elder daughter Aditi Mody, the baton has now been passed on to the former’s youngest daughter Isha Patodia. Under the aegis of Isha, the gallery is now reinventing itself with a fresh, youthful and global approach to the business of arts. We speak with Isha who gives us a quick view of the exhibition and Genesis Gallery.
Tell us more about ALIGNMENT.
Inner truths, feelings, thoughts and instincts har monise with the medium the artist is using for visual expression. This self-expression creates the most distinct artworks unique to every artist and that very uniqueness and diversity is what we wish to showcase. ALIGNMENT is an art exhibition showcasing distinct artworks by the finest Indian contemporary artists, like Arunanshu Chowdhury, Asit Kumar Patnaik, Bhagat Singh, Bolgum Nagesh Goud, Bose Krishnamachari, Chandrashekhar Morkonda, D. Jayaprakash, David Gerstein, George Martin, H.R. Das, and Jogen Chowdhury among others.
How did you start your journey as an art curator?
Our gallery has always promoted art in a great way from the very start. Apart from exhibitions, my mother also used to organise art camps, and as a little girl, I used to run errands in the camps, fetching colours, water and stuff to assist the artists and listen to the artful conversations, trying to fathom the concepts they were painting. When I returned from the UK after attending college, joining the gallery was a natural progression. It has been almost 15 years since I joined the gallery, professionally and passionately, and with time I have developed a keen eye for art.
What, apart from curating exhibitions, does Genesis organise?
We have an art foundation too. Habiart Foundation is a sister concern of Genesis Gallery and has been involved in the promotion of contemporary Indian art since 1989. Apart from exhibitions and camps, we organised the Indian Contemporary Art Fair in 2008, which was a relatively new concept back then, in which we brought many art galleries and art groups under one roof. We have done art auctions as well. The art foundation also works against the lobbying of fakes in the market and has special shows like Art against Terrorism, which were showcased at the Parliament and Davos Economic Forum. We also did an interesting project called Celebrating Mona Lisa in which 15 artists across the globe created their versions of the Mona Lisa, to celebrate 500 years of the Mona Lisa. We also did a few art events in public places, bringing art to the common man. We have always tried not to restrict art and art shows just to the gallery.
What is your plan for the gallery and the foundation?
We endeavour to promote Indian contemporary art and young Indian artists. But we are also keeping some religious and mythological paintings at the gallery to keep a balance between both. A gallery is really helpful for them as they get a platform to showcase their art. Apart from the physical gallery, we showcase the artworks on our website for international connoisseurs to check out the artists who have a lot of potential to grow in the future.
Your upcoming show?
We’ll probably have another one in Kolkata during September, and one in Delhi thereafter, which will again be a group show of 30-40 artists.
The exhibition is on till May 31.