Eclectic shock

50 works by 32 artists ranging from MF Husain to Pragya Jain and Pradeep Puthoor. This group show aims to give you a high voltage artistic jolt

Art exhibitions in the Capital breed impassioned meditations. Some stand alone in dimly lit corners for hours and contemplate how the yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts into the glass of wine they are guzzling. The not-so-reclusive kinds are more vocal about their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Merlot.


Water Fairy

Nevertheless, we Delhiites, between our sips of fermented fruit juices, do find some time to admire methods, material and symbolic significance. Art House India, a new art gallery in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park plans to capture you in one of those artistically charged moments with its debut exhibition titled Eclectic Ensemble.u00a0

Mixed bunch
As the name suggests, the group show features 50 select works by 32 artists-- presenting an impressive collection of contemporary Indian art. The show is curated by veterans Sushma Behl and Archana Sapra. Interestingly, this time their show remains open with no particular 'theme' to focus on. "I wanted to give every work the deserved breathing space, thus the huge number of artists under one roof," says Sushma Behl.

But isn't 50 a big number? Aren't we nowadays compromising on quality keeping gallery spaces in mind? "Not at all," defends Sushma, "we had to choose the best works and stick to 50."u00a0 The exhibition will show works by seniors like MF Husain and KM Adimoolam. And also let you peep into the world of a certain Dimpy Menon with her diminutive but daunting sculptures. Or a Pradeep Puthoor with his sturdy sense of movement. Plus a mix of lots other artists ranging from Shipra Bhattacharya and Bartin Khan (Bengal) to Arpana Caur, Sanjay Bhattacharya and Seema Kohli (our very own Diliwalahs) among others.

Artists talk
For Pragya Jain, New York and Boston galleries might have accelerated her artistic growth, but a show in the city from where she belongs holds a special place. "I have two works on display here, one of course, extremely intricate with loads of colours," she says. "And yes, it is a humbling experience to be a part of a collection which features names like Husain,"u00a0 she adds. The soft spoken Pradeep Puthoor from Thiruvanathapuram (introduced to Delhi by Sushma) promises a satirical controversial piece of work for the Capital. "New York, Berlin and Paris are different. India isn't always receptive when it comes to art work. But let us hope for the best here in Delhi," says Pradeep.

"I'm happy my work is going to rub shoulders with artists like KM Adimoolam. They are the real heroes and we try and follow their footsteps and create something new," he adds. Talking of the abstract, the artist reminds us of the hundred or so drawings of Mahatma Gandhi sketched from his photographs by Adimoolam. Isn't it apt while keeping Anna Hazare fasting in mind that those works are displayed at the exhibition too? "Not a bad idea. Unfortunately, we planned the exhibition before this entire thing became popular so we simply have one abstract work by the artist. But I'm sure other artists will soon find forms of expression with the movement taking over India," says Sushma. You bet they will.u00a0