Singapore-based curator Mukta Ahluwalia Bedi and Art*ry Dubai, jointly present an exhibition that will showcase seventeen artists and fifty artworks from South India: Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The exhibition introduces to the Middle East, exciting contemporary artists who are breaking new ground in art-practices. It aims to showcase the breadth of artistic practices beyond the metropolitan cities. This will be held at Art*ry, Al Quoz from the 13th May to 13th June 2015 from 11am to 7 pm.
Curated by Mukta Ahluwalia Bedi, this is the first edition of an ongoing research into contemporary Indian art practices. This exhibition is a survey of variety of art practices found in South India. There will be four such editions during the course of two years; each edition will focus on a distinct geographical area.
“Many artists today find themselves struggling with lack of opportunity to connect with wider audiences. In NH7+47: Southern Sojourn, we introduce new talent, new works that are fun, fresh and exciting; art from India that has not been presented before in the middle-east. The idea is to create a platform for alternate art practices to emerge and grow,” commented Mukta Ahluwalia Bedi, Curator.
“UAE and India have a long economic and historical relationship, especially with Southern Indian trading ports. As UAE progresses form initial years of nation building to a dynamic modern country, it is important to promote intellectual, social cultural aspects of life. Art*ry through the vehicle of art, aims to enrich the cultural landscape in Dubai by showcasing quality arts from across the globe and organizing invigorating talks and sessions for the divers audiences”, said Hassena Suresh, founding member at Art*ry.
The artists presented are among the rising stars of the Indian art. They choose unusual mediums to execute large-scale works to celebrate the vernacular culture through their art, hence creating persuasive artworks, which entice the viewer with their unique visual language. The audience relate directly to the artworks as they represent the social-cultural ethos of our time; conveying the everyday lived experience. The imagery has a unique flavor and aesthetic that indicates towards new possibilities in art-making.
The artists in the exhibition include:
1. Anamika Vijayveeraraghvan
2. Ramachandran Nagasamy
3. Yuvan Bothisathuvar
4. Sarvana Parasuraman
5. Kumaresan Selvaraj
6. Vijay Pichumani
7. Janarthana Rudhramoorthy
8. Masuram RaviKant
9. Sayam Bharath
10. Laxman Aelay
11. Rohini Reddy
12. Gouri Vemula
13. Priti Samyukta
14. Srinivas Reddy
15. Madhu Venugopal
16. Shridhar Iyer
Masuram Ravi Kant, Anamika V and Ramachandran N, are young artists who consciously celebrate the local visual culture whereas Yuvan Bothisathuvar and Sarvana Parasuraman use the line but in a rather objective abstract manner.
As these artists continue their experimentation and artistic growth, it is possible that with them will emerge a distinct language and artistic practice that is authentic to them and reflective of their cultural milieu.
The show Southern Road Trip stems from the curator’s research on art practices in Indian subcontinent – away from the main art centers such as Mumbai, Vadodara, Delhi and Kolkata. It emerged from another project on Singaporean art, where the curator explores artists’ critical response to Singapore’s inherent urban condition. However, the show would raise the question: isn’t urban the inherent condition for all artistic production?
NH7+47 refer to the National Highways in India that link the country. The curator plans to take road-trips over next two years to explore art making beyond the four main art centers in India (Bombay, Vadodara, Delhi and Kolkata) where mostly, absorption of the contemporary, western artistic practices and strategies is witnessed. The road-trips are undertaken by the curator to explore if there are other possibilities in the peripheral art centers. The first edition of this research culminates in a show – Southern Sojourn that surveys the variety of art practices found in the region south of the Deccan plateau.
About Art*ry
Art*ry is the organic realization of a shared vision to understand and foster dialogue between artists and their practice. Art*ry evolved from several open-ended conversations among a group of UAE-based artists to whom art has long been a way of life, a passionate commitment more than a form of self-expression. The group perceived a collective need for an art movement in the region that nurtures interactions and collaborative projects with renowned local and global names in contemporary art. It also endeavors to support exciting contemporary artists who extend the boundaries of art.
Art*ry has been organizing exciting talks and events for the last one-year: Talks sessions by artists like Gigi Scaria: Indian contemporary visual artist, Mohamed Kazem: Emirati Contemporary Artist and Curator, Cristiana de Marchi: Italian Contemporary artist/curator and art writer based in Dubai, Bose Krishnamachari: Indian Contemporary artist / Curator / President Kochi-Muziris Biennale – India and Riyaz Komu: Indian Contemporary artist / Curator / Secretary Kochi-Muziris Biennale – India. Art*ry Kochi was launched as a collateral project at the Kochi Biennale 2014. It has since hosted four acclaimed shows and supported Unnikisrhana’s participation In the Sharjah Biennale 2015. For more information visit their website.
About the Curator – Mukta Ahluwalia Bedi
Mukta Ahluwalia Bedi has over 20 years of experience in the creative industries. She successfully launched her fashion design business in India. Later on moving to Singapore she started art consultancy services. Eventually moving into the non-profit arts sector starting with Singapore Art Museum as a curatorial assistant on the Signature Art Prize for a short term; where she closed maximum nominations to date: 131 nominations through approximately 30 curators.
Later that year she joined the highly respected and acclaimed team at Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore to set up an independent visual arts platform for them. The aim being to organize researched, curated shows outside the museum narrative. At this time, she was also approached to develop course material and teach Art Criticism to year three students in addition to teaching Art History. As an art consultant, her practice grew to give critiques to young artists /art groups and identify artists for various community projects. Presently, she is based out of Dubai as an independent curator, artist and writer.
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