From centuries old paintings of Varanasi to urban art, Mumbai Gallery Weekend returns with a bigger roster
The Orientalists’ Benares by DAG showcases how foreign artists like CJ Robinson perceived the holy city. PIC COURTESY/DAG
In a striking black and white photograph from Nirvair Singh Rai’s Reclaiming Spaces, a saree-clad woman is enveloped in the waves of Mumbai’s sea—a picture of delight and jubilation. In another, a man in a lone boat sails away as a row of people stare at the expanse of the sea. Rai’s pictures of the city will be showcased by Method, but this is no ordinary exhibition. It marks the debut of the gallery’s Juhu outpost at the Mumbai Gallery Weekend, whose 12th edition will unfold from January 11 to 14.
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Arguably the most awaited art event in the city, this year, it features 36 participating galleries—from esteemed names like Chatterjee & Lal to newer experimental spaces like Nine Fish Art Gallery. Whether you’re entirely new to the subject, a budding enthusiast or see yourself being a collector someday, this four-day presentation is an opportunity to embark on gallery hops with initiatives like Art & Wonderment and soak in a performance by DJ-music producer Tushar Adhav.
One of the works from Nirvair Singh Rai’s Reclaiming Spaces at Method Juhu. PIC COURTESY/METHOD
“The decision to have free entry for the exhibitions and events reflects the Mumbai Gallery Association’s commitment to making art accessible to a diverse audience,” says Shireen Gandhy, a spokesperson for the 2024 edition and Director at Chemould Prescott Road. “While sponsors play a crucial role in facilitating the event’s logistics and infrastructure, especially India Art Fair supporting the Talks Program for this edition, our approach to making the programming free has been instrumental in shaping MGW’s legacy as it broadens the reach of contemporary art.”
For first-time attendees, Gandhy recommends Evolution of Now presented by Teesta Bhandare and Art Garde at Worli’s Kathiwada City House. She highlights the myriad styles and mediums adopted by the 10 artists featured, each of whom have responded to a socio-political stimulus. Young and new collectors should earmark the show because the works have been priced under Rs 3 lakh.
Shireen Gandhy
“Reclaiming Spaces documents the various layers of Mumbai as a city. It translates and captures the idea of how spaces are occupied, or abandoned in a physical and emotional sense,” says Method founder and curator Sahil Arora. Alongside Rai’s show in Juhu, we recommend a special exhibition at DAG’s Taj Mahal Palace outpost, titled The Orientalists’ Benares. For history buffs, this is a rich look into how foreign painters in the 19th and 20th centuries perceived the holy city and its ghats. Vivid works by painters like CJ Robinson and Hiroshi Yoshida will be going on view for the first time.
The Mumbai Gallery Weekend also coincides with the opening of Gallery XXL’s home on Wodehouse Road in Colaba, solidifying the institution’s presence in the city. “We want to explore in every way possible, working with various artists and practices which are not conventionally presented in gallery structures,” says the gallery’s director Joe Cyril. Its first offering is sans sentense, an exploration of the phenomenon of post-graffiti art and contemporary visual cultures. Al-Qawi Nanavati, Hanif Kureshi and Tanya George are among the artists who will engage with and deconstruct letters within a number of scripts, delving into the notions of memory, playfulness, and a language’s connection to the past and future.
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