Art 2015: a snapshot

The new year starts on a high note with the India Art Fair and continues on a treble with retrospectives, solo shows and international celebration of Indian artists

Kochi Biennale

The second edition of the Kochi biennale, with its series of talks and seminars, has attempted to create a dialogue between Kochi’s cosmopolitanism and rich cultural legacy. Ninety-four artists from 30 countries are presenting their works as part of the central exhibition titled “Whorled Explorations” that will be open to the public for 108 days. “The biennale has come together seamlessly this year. Each artwork presented has been carefully thought out and the response of the art community, tourists and locals alike has been incredibly encouraging,” says Sonal Singh, head of sales, Christie’s. One can look forward to works by artists such as Akbar Padamsee, Anish Kapoor, Bharti Kher, David Horvitz, Dayanita Singh, Sahej Rahal and more as part of the central exhibition.

On till March 2015 at various venues in Kochi

The India Art Fair 2015

“The seventh edition is going to be a big departure from the previous years. There will be a sense of freshness in terms of the works and the facilities at the fair,” says founding director Neha Kirpal. Every year, the India Art Fair heralds the Indian art calendar and facilitates a dialogue between practitioners, gallerists and collectors. This year, 85 galleries and a total of 90 booths will showcase the diversity of modern and contemporary art. Girish Shahane, as the newly-appointed artistic director, will curate the artistic programme and further strengthen the talks segment. Some of the speakers include Adam Szymczyk, artistic director, Documenta, Venu Vasudevan, director general of the National Museum, and artist Jeremy Deller, creator of the British pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale.

The India Art Fair will be held in Delhi between January 29 and February 1 , 2015

Imagined Immortals

She is considered one of the most important Indian contemporary artists and will be showing in Delhi after four years. ‘Imagined Mortals’ by Anju Dodiya explores mortality and the fragile nature of the human body. “We forget our own mortal nature in the mundane cycles of giving and taking,” says Dodiya. The exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery will include her works on paper as well as a small group of collages which will be shown for the first time in the city. “It is a combination of light humour and melancholy,” she says.

‘Imagined Immortals’ will be shown at Vadehra Art Gallery, Delhi between January 18 and February 14, 2015

Four-part solo show by CAMP

Ask any gallerist, artist or art enthusiast about the show that they are most looking forward to and the answer will be the solo show by CAMP. “For me, it is one of the most important shows to look out for,” says Shireen Gandhy of Mumbai-based Gallery Chemould. The artists’ collective, led by Shaina Anand and Ashok Sukumaran, has been working in the art/film/archive space for over a decade now and the four exhibits will be held at Experimenter in Kolkata, Jor Bagh House in New Delhi, and Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Gallery Chemould in Mumbai. Titled ‘As If’, it is a retrospective of sorts as the four shows present many artworks and ideas that were crafted by the collective since 2007 and by its constituent individuals since 2002.

The show will open in Kolkata between January 7 and February 10; in Delhi between January 27 and February 24; at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum between February 21 and April 2 and at Gallery Chemould between March 9 and April 12

International events

March seems to be a packed month for gallerists and artists with Indian art taking centre stage internationally as well. Art Basel Hong Kong will witness participation by galleries such as Vadehra and Experimenter. The latter will also make its presence felt at the ninth edition of Art Dubai to take place in the latter half of March. “Indian art is slowly but steadily becoming part of important collections, both private and institutional, and this will grow in 2015,” says Prateek Raja of Experimenter. According to gallerist Roshini Vadehra, another significant exhibition is the Nasreen Mohamedi retrospective that will travel to Reina Sofia, Spain.