With humankind capable of changing the Earth’s systems more than natural forces, the planet has reached a new historical era. There is a sense of hopelessness in this supposed progress, and man’s commercial and industrial activities along with rampant consumerism have taken a toll on the world, changing it irrevocably. This is the concept embodying ‘The Flights of Materiality’, an exhibition organised by Gallery Espace, New Friends Colony, in collaboration with India International Centre, Lodhi Estate.
The works displayed here are sculpture forms by artists GR Iranna, Arunkumar HG, Karl Antao, Shambhavi, and Puneet Kaushik. The exhibition, which began on Friday, will be on view till October 30 at the Gandhi-King Plaza, Lodhi Colony . Subtitled ‘Sculptural metaphors of the Anthropocene’, the artworks are an allegorical representation of nature and humankind’s interaction with it. The theme is reflected using materials such as wood, bronze, brick, and iron. “We wanted to create a public garden full of sculptures. All the artworks are made for the outdoors, which respond with the surroundings,” stated a Gallery Espace representative.
Crisis through materiality
Arunkumar HG from Delhi, whose sculptures are made from recycled and repurposed materials such as upscaled wood, engages with a diverse range of ecological concerns. His work speaks of the decline of natural habitat as a result of consumerism. Alluding to the cultural milieu, Arunkumar looks at the environment from a historical perspective.
Speaking of his piece ‘Empty Shell & The Churned Mountain’, he says, “The story of Samudra Manthan and its imagination in the ancient [the Puranas] times amazes me. It goes well with the present context of the climate crisis due to the overdrawing of the Earth’s resources, pushing it to the danger of its life structure. Glaciers are melting, marine life diminishing, the green forests are disappearing in the mountains, and biodiversity is reducing like never before. There is only human’s greed to blame. The churning of oceans and mountains is going on for the elusive immortal nectar, while the protector, preserver’s role is questioned.”
Puneet Kaushik, a Rajasthan native, speaks of how his contemporary work—it weaves a synergy of different elements such as glass, coral beads and cotton, creating a sort of organic growth together—carries traces of the Indian crafts. Completing his work amid the lockdown, Kaushik says. “The idea is of being entangled the way relationships are. How you cut off an element of yourself and that element moves on, just like the bark of a tree.”
A conscious response
These artists’ works are responses to our surroundings and the country’s issues. The sculptures, therefore, manifest their concerns by asking what worlds we are intentionally creating. This concept speaks of these strange times and the apocalyptic nature of the future.
CHECK IT OUT
What: ‘The Flights of Materiality’; subtitled ‘Sculptural metaphors of the Anthropocene’
Where: Gandhi-King Plaza, Indian International Centre, Lodhi Colony
When: Till October 30, 11:00am to 7:00pm