Body of art

An 11-week long exhibition, featuring over 220 objects, showcases the human body not just as a subject but also as a medium for exploring the socio-cultural issues

On a regular weekday, the National Museum in Delhi plays host to groups of art students and tourists, who walk through the seven galleries on the ground floor with an awestruck expression. But last Wednesday morning was different. The stray groups of students had given way to throngs of visitors -families, art enthusiasts, history students, academicians, diplomats -, all of whom were making their way to the first floor of the museum, where The Body in Indian Art, a critically acclaimed exhibition is open for view. After a successful showing at the Palais des Beaux in Brussels, the over 220 objects sourced from 36 museums, archaeological institutes and private collections have now made its way to Delhi. Spanning nearly 4,000 years of history, from Harappan to modern times, the exhibition has been curated by noted academic and art historian Naman Ahuja. A significant number of objects, which had been lying in the storerooms of museums in small towns and villages, are being showcased on such a grand scale for the first time. With sculptures, paintings, miniatures, masks, jewellery, posters, video installations, music clips and two large textile pieces, this is one of the largest assemblages of Indian art in recent times.

Be it tiny Harappan figures, an 8th century animal-headed anthropomorph Uma Maheshwar, an image of a toe-suckling Bal Krishna in bronze or a page from the Shahnama depicting the birth of legendary Persian warrior Rustom, each of these objects try to decipher the complex facets of the body. The human body is not just the subject, but it is also the medium for understanding the socio-political-cultural ethos of the times. "The exhibition is trying to make a larger point than just the physicality," says Ahuja.

It's interesting that the first section of the exhibition deals with death, with a range of images showing the mortality of the body. Especially striking is the book Akitoosha-i-ukba which deals with provisions needed for journeys through the next world. Made of copper pages with silver calligraphy, it was made during the reign of Aurangzeb and features the 99 names of Allah. This extremely rare book has been sourced from the Archaeological Survey of India's museum and is being shown for the first time. The successive displays showcase how Indian art perceives birth and rebirth and the cycle of time.

Ahuja was given 15 months to put together this mammoth exhibition, a task that would have been next to impossible if he hadn't spent years travelling across India and Europe, visiting museums in tiny towns and villages. "I have been able to draw from my archives and database pieced together during 20 years of travels," he says. One such visit led to a significant discovery - a boar-headed copper anthropomorph dating to 2nd or 1st millenium BC had been lying unnoticed in a museum storeroom. Another must-see is a 9th century sculpture - the Naga Deva- carved from porous stone that lends a flaky, snake-skin like feel to the piece. It has been lent by the Bhopal Museum. Then there are manuscripts on magic made especially for Akbar sourced from the library of Nawab of Rampur. "It is rarely that Islamic and Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art has been displayed in a single show," says Ahuja.

A matter of concern is that some of the museums across the country are not even aware of the treasure trove of art that rests in their storerooms. "Sadly, the curators of many museums are not trained scholars. They take care of the objects but don't know what's of importance in the collection," says Ahuja. "I am hopeful that after seeing this exhibition, visitors to those museums will increase, which will have a positive effect on the funding, thus giving impetus to research efforts.

The Body in Indian Art is on view at the National Museum till June 7. A curator's walk with Naman Ahuja will be held on April 5