Magical canvas

A few months ago, this column had mourned the lack of well-curated shows and drawn attention to a sense of fatigue in the air. Then came Lo Real Maravilloso — a large, ambitious show seeded by Magic Realism, “produced” by Gallery Espace and curated by Sunil Mehra.

Many aspects of this exhibition remain in my mind even after it was brought down — the scale, the diversity, and the sheer pleasure of seeing unknown artists such as Albanian-Italian Anila Rubiku. These, however, were all dwarfed by the tautness of the show — it flowed along a trajectory, an arc of ideas from art makers, conducted as a harmonious chorus. Alongside the art works were words picked out from texts, acquiring new tints in this context.

Mehra, a writer and longtime commentator on the arts, does not describe himself as a professional curator, putting up shows on contract. This, in fact, was his first. But he was sure about how he wanted to work with the artists. In his own words, it was an immersive process. The artists each received a set of books and films, which was the starting point for them to share common reference points. Besides, they got over a year to work on specific works of art for this show. This struck me as entirely different from most other curatorial processes. The art didn’t have to struggle to squeeze into the curator’s mould. It was created specifically for it, through continuous engagement. One artist even had to refuse, because his current line of thought didn’t allow him to engage.

I see this as one of the most important processes in contemporary curating. As boundaries break down between writers and artists, curators and artists, we need another kind of process set in motion. The earlier airtight spaces make little sense now. Critics and reviewers breezing into shows and handing in their verdicts in print are as archaic as curators studio-hopping to pick up work for their next offering. Think of it: apart from being shown and being seen, what does a typical group show offer to the artist? How does the artist learn, grow and develop new ideas from these opportunities?

Mehra’s fresh approach, on the other hand, pushed artists to think with him. The non-Indian artists in the show were also striking. Mehra explained it as a result of two things. First, that his show was about Magic Realism, not about Indian artists. Anyone who could fit in was invited, within a reasonable time-frame. Second, he “never shut his books”, so to say. Once the curatorial process began, he — like other curators — remain alert to other great fits. Mehra only learned about the tantalising British embroidery artist, Louise Gardiner, at a Crafts Council show in London, after the show was planned.

That Gallery Espace invested not only in a grand show with 37 artists, but on one that was this intensive, sets an important precedent for galleries. Curators need gallery support to go meet artists, even if they know their work well. They require the space for uncertainty, time for ideas to hatch and support to refuse works that don’t make the cut. Had this not been the case, Lo Real Maravilloso would have had 15 more works. But Gallery Espace wouldn’t have been able to host this kind of magical show.

(bharati.art.talk@gmail.com)