Art curator Gayatri Sinha on her latest curatorial work in Kolkata
Art curator Gayatri Sinha’s current curation Miracle of Absence is on display at Art Exposure in Kolkata now. This also serves as the maiden exhibition for the newly opened gallery by Somak Mitra in the city. An intriguing theme coupled with the curated works of a dozen artists makes this a wonderful show. Participating artists include Abir Karmakar, Amitava, Anandajit Ray, Baaraan Ijlal, Buddhadhev Mukherjee, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Gigi Scaria, Mithu Sen, Ratheesh T., Ricky Vasan, Shambhavi Singh, T. Venkanna.
We speak to Gayatri on the curatorial process and about the exhibition.
Excerpts:
How was the theme ‘Miracle of Absence’ decided upon?
The phrase Miracle of Absence is drawn from a couplet by Mirza Ghalib, probably the greatest Urdu poet, who had lived in both Delhi and Calcutta.
How do you perceive ‘absence’?
Absence is an interesting concept because it has former or future anticipated presence embedded within it.
A dozen artists interpreted the meaning of the theme. How did you curate the artworks on display?
Many of the works are very evocative of presence and absence as invoked through light and shadow, gesture, and have a strong affective appeal. The exhibition was curated to draw out the effect of the work. The lighting by Lyle Lopez is a very powerful contributor to the way the show appears. If you notice, there is marked difference in the cold tubelight effect that we use for the work of Abir Karmakar, and the warm light that filters through the shadows in the work of Shambhavi. The way Mithu and Barran Ijlal's works have been lit allows them to appear in such a way that the wall seems to recede. I also chose to give the works of Buddhadev Mukherjee an intimate setting, since they are small, and can be viewed up close.
What do you find the easiest and most challenging part of a curation process?
There’s nothing easy about the process of curation. I would say it’s on a scale from interesting to one of obsessive preoccupation. The works enter your head space and keep moving around until you have given them their ideal spot.
What is the newness that today’s art brings out?
My work reflects what the present situation draws out of the artist; it is a reflection on contemporary times, and our present social conditions. A sense of violence and the passage of time, the struggle of the everyday and a philosophical, even spiritual quest is evident in the work.
Miracles of Absence is on display till November 30, 2024. Gayatri is also set to curate the exhibition Memory Fields, for the 35th anniversary of Gallery Espace in Delhi, later this year.
