Walk into Vadehra Contemporary and you will notice how six steel contraptions that have been programmed with a motor circuit occupy most of the space in the first floor of this gallery in Defence Colony. While from afar, the geometric rings which are part of the work look like they are rising and falling purposelessly, on closer inspection, you will notice how each ring creates momentary soap films with the help of the solution poured around them. Titled ‘Where have all the Stories Gone?’ this work by Indirapuram-based artist Susanta Mandal, is part of the ongoing group exhibition, ‘A Handful of Dust’.
The conceptual exhibition it will continue at the gallery till June 18 is inspired by American poet Elizabeth Bishop’s poem One Art and explores the multiplicity of truth through distortion, speculation, and inventiveness of perspectives. “The world we live in right now is sensitive and subject to polarisation. Everything is very belief-driven.
The exhibition’s approach is, therefore, to present multiple perspectives and bring together an opportunity to question one’s innate approach to any concept,” shares Dipti Anand, curator of the show. Mandal’s piece, in that sense, becomes an appropriate reflection of perceived notions and how easy it is to disrupt thoughts in order to create different concepts in just seconds. “Every day, we encounter a number of events and incidents, most of which are not recorded. These skins [soap films] create a sort of shelter, which divides the space momentarily. If we translate these skins into pages, they could record what we have lost,” he shares.
Of varied perspectives
With a roster that includes 13 more artists such as Sudhir Patwardhan, KN Madhusudhanan, Jagannath Panda, NS Harsha, Gigi Scaria, and others, along with Mandal, this exhibition showcases sketches, paintings, sculptures, and mixed media artworks, which represent the artists’ personal relationship to the world instead of societal conditioning. One of the artworks is Biraaj Dodiya’s sculpture titled ‘Fog and Spine, 2021’. Repurposed from an abandoned bed frame and found objects such as cycle chains, the work highlights the shift in one’s experience with objects (such as a bed) that normally brought people comfort. Similarly, artist Priyanka Choudhary’s (45) series of untitled paintings are also created using organic materials that Choudhary had been collecting over the years.
The exhibition also features a series of circular mixed-media works by artist Pranati Panda. Using everyday objects, mostly threads in vibrant red, Panda’s works reflect on the hidden relationship between human and nature. “The threads are a metaphor for the connection we have with each other and nature.” Addressing her use of red, Panda concludes, “Red is the colour of our life energy. It makes sense to use such a colour to address the overall idea of life.”
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: ‘A Handful of Dust’
WHEN: Till May 18, Monday to Saturday, 10:00am-6:00pm
WHERE: Vadehra Contemporary, D-53, Defence Colony