NGMA goes contemporary

Delhi's iconic gallery is celebrating contemporary art in a big way, with retrospectives on Subodh Gupta, Amrita Sher-Gil and architect Raj Rewal joining the calendar

A luggage trolley carrying two suitcases, a typical kaali peeli taxi half-sunken into the floor, reeling under the weight of its cargo, a motorbike laden with gleaming milk cans - these and many such works form part of Subodh Gupta's ongoing solo exhibition at Delhi's National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). Titled 'Everything is Inside', the exhibition explores the notion of literal and metaphorical journeys, along with focus on the everyday, commonplace baggage loaded onto the vehicles. Spread across the opulent Jaipur House and the museum's new building, built in 2009, the works have been curated by noted Italian art historian and critic Germano Celant. The paintings and small-scale sculptures have been prominently arranged in Jaipur House, while the large, site-specific installations make their presence felt in the new building.

"The dynamism and creativity demonstrated by Subodh's works are reflective of much of what is happening in our country, and we are experiencing a period of development with reference to contemporary art scene," says Professor Rajeev Lochan, director, NGMA, about the significance that Gupta's exhibition holds for the contemporary art scene. "There is a certain upsurge among art lovers that is remarkable when it comes to understanding contemporary art practices." He is excited about this new phase at NGMA where masters and contemporary artists alike are being celebrated. "We intend to have many more exhibitions of contemporary artists in the months to come," adds Lochan.

This is likely to silence critics, be it artists or art enthusiasts, that NGMA has been focusing more on the classical and modern masters. The Atul Dodiya retrospective that opened at the gallery in November was a major step towards appreciating and applauding contemporary masters. The first quarter of 2014 has started off on a high note with Gupta's exhibition, with more such events to take place this year. "We are also organising a centenary exhibition of Amrita Sher-Gil curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, to be inaugurated on January 31," says Lochan. One can also look forward to a retrospective exhibition of architect Raj Rewal in early 2014. "This is the first time that NGMA is showcasing architectural works. Also, a major exhibition of distinguished sculptor Meera Mukherjee is on the cards," he adds.

In recent years there has been a lot of talk that NGMA hasn't made any new acquisitions of artworks since 2006 and that there has not been a physical verification of the works since 2000. Lochan is surprised to know that such speculations continue to float in spite of the museum having issued a statement in the press clarifying its stance. "The purchase of new works of art has not been made in the absence of an acquisition policy and a requisite committee for the purpose. However, the past few years NGMA has attracted and acquired 282 prestigious works of art, which have been bequeathed/gifted to the gallery," he says. Several new proposals in this regard are also under active consideration. Regarding physical verification, he states that the process is under active progress and is about to be completed. "Almost 98 per cent of the works in possession of the NGMA have already been verified by a Committee constituted for this purpose," adds Lochan.

'Everything is Inside' is open for viewing at the NGMA till March 16, 2014