Love art? Drop by these two exhibitions in Mumbai this week

Drop by these art exhibitions that highlight the materiality of objects and help tell stories through their work

Re-look, re-imagine

If this writer knew what art was all about, she wouldn’t write about it. One writes in search of answers to experiences, not questions. And at Handle With Care, Yaazd Contractor’s solo exhibition at Method Kala Ghoda, we feel that we are on track when the show’s literature by Michel Gantous asks us to experience the artwork, in the manner suggested by its title, but not limit the interaction to prescribed interpretation. Finding familiarity in the materials used, the shapes they take, views they recall and memories associated, though from a collective consciousness, is a personal payoff.

Yaazd Contractor

With a series of light sculptures, vases, grills and furniture using metal, cinder and flowers, mass-produced prefabricated steel parts, aluminium, fluted glass, cold cathode or neon lighting and other objects of contrasting materials, the show is a reflection of what we live amongst. It offers a chance to bring this relationship to the fore. Speaking about his choice of material and manner of creation, Contractor tells us that the work’s forms and parts are rooted in observation. 

“They start from what I see, around and within the city and its life. After which, it’s a puzzle of reaching the destination that I wish to reach. The use of hardware comes from being brought up by a family of architects. But bringing it out from behind the walls and to the forefront is solely for its aesthetic and utilitarian value. There are many more reasons for the selection of the parts for my assemblages but this is the base,” he adds. Gallery founder Sahil Arora shares that the works were developed for the exhibition and highlight a deeper appreciation for local architecture. “Yaazd’s practice, independently and with the   Back Studio, has encouraged us to look at urban landscapes with more detail,  and in a new light. The artist’s use of everyday material and objects is intriguing in the way it reimagines their purpose and presents them at the intersection of art, architecture and design,” he signs off. 

Till: January 3, 2023; 11 am to 6 pm (except Monday)
At: Method Kalaghoda, Fort
Log on to: themethod.art

Stories cast in form

Chhering Negi, Rear Window - XV

Isn’t storytelling the medium through which we carry on our lives — reconstructing the past to define our present and build a future? Apre Art House’s Singing The Body Electric: Narratives in Ceramic and Print bases itself on the materiality of clay, printmaking techniques to highlight their narrative power. Founder Prerna Jain points to the mediums as strong conduits for storytelling. She adds, “Such objects have been mnemonic devices that record memory, ancestry and shared history. With both these mediums, one has to decipher every mark and symbol to read the complete story.”

Anjani Khanna, Morning Coffee. Pics Courtesy/Apre Art House

The show exhibits the work of 13 artists — Ananda Moy Banerji, Anjani Khanna, Chhering Negi, Devesh Upadhyay, Dushyant Patel, G Reghu, Madhur Sen, Rajesh Pullarwar, Sarban Chowdhury, Shripad Gurav, Srinia Chowdhury, Suvajit Mondal and Vishakha Apte — curated by Kristine Michael, a ceramic artist and academician. Jain points out that the artists have communicated memories from the past and everyday instances to serve as a repository of stories that celebrate the creative, narrative language of the mediums.

Prerna Jain

These stories can offer viewers a route into their past, present and future to word their own relationships with each. Jain adds, “Each artwork and mark made onto its surface is a peek into the life of the artist.” An intriguing thing about art is its ability to allude; nudge a memory or put words to thoughts. As a writer, it’s funny that words often fail us. Here art, or in this case, ceramic and print, step in. 

Till: January 4, 2023; 10 am to 6.30 pm (except Monday)
At: Apre Art House, 28, Sanghvi House, Colaba Market
Log on to: aprearthouse.com

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