Horses have been man’s travel companion for centuries. While the animal’s role in today’s society is restricted to racing, here’s an exhibition of artworks by 15 renowned artists from across the country, which takes you back in time and rediscovers horses.
Where Did the Horses Go, on display at the Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills till October 23, comprises 47 artworks and has been curated by Dr Kallol Ray. “Horses in India have typically been a mode. The exhibition attempts to understand the animal from a different perspective. We have taken a close look at how the use of horses has evolved over the centuries,” says Ray.
The exhibition is a blend of contemporary and the more classical approach to the horse, in kind of a scrabbled view, he says. “You won’t find art works here running from the 16th century, but the pocketed canvas of linear history. We are trying to mix contemporary art works with more traditional ones,” says Ray. Works of artists George Martin PJ, GR Iranna, Muzaffar Ali, Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya and Sujith SN, to name a few, are on display.
Their works have been punctuated with Mughal miniatures from the late 19th century. “These are important specimens which the exhibition has used to illustrate and educate about the way horses were in the old and new art forms,” the curator explains.
On asking why they chose Hyderabad to showcase the exhibition, he says, “Hyderabad has a long tradition of Islamic culture, Sultans and the Nizams. They have all been devoted breeders and appreciators of horses. In a way, the old Islamic culture and the mixed bag of traditions in Hyderabad has an important perspective on horses in history. A lot of this culture is taken from Jodhpur. We earlier thought of doing a travel exhibition, but later decided to hold it in Hyderabad.”
Artists’ works on display
Avijit Dutta, Diptish Ghosh Dastidar, George Martin PJ, GR Iranna, Jatin Das, Muzaffar Ali, Ravi Thakur Collection, Renuka Sondhi Gulati, Seema Kohli, Shyamal Dutta, Shuvaprasanna Bhattacharya, Subrata Gangopadhyay, Sujith SN, Sunil Das, Unnati Singh and Vasundhara Tewari Broota
When: Till October 23
Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills