Crossing over to a new genre

Here’s an exhibition that attempts to focus on promoting contemporary artists and new mediums of art. The ‘Crossings’ exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) reflects a conscious attempt to create a distinct niche and is an attempt to create newer horizons for young artists.

At its spacious gallery at the South Court Mall in Saket, KNMA has brought together many reputed contemporary artists for the first time in ‘Crossings’. The title of the exhibition itself is drawn from the most phenomenal work they have on display ‘Crossings’ by artist Ranbir Kaleka. It is a fascinating combination of the still and the moving. Roobina Karode, curator of ‘Crossings’ says, “The artist is questioning the definiteness of place and time. Through his artwork, the artist wants to depict that a human being can inhabit both real and imaginary places at the same time. The work is definitely very innovative.”

In the same league is artist Sudarshan Shetty’s ‘Taj Mahal’. A wondrous house of 250 metal Taj Mahal replicas stacked on top of each other, the surprise lies inside. As you enter the frame, you see a television screen showing a video of the Taj Mahal melting. Roobina explains, “The artist is warning mankind that if we don’t take care of the original monument, one day it will waste away like it does in the video, and all that we will be left with would be these replicas of the Taj Mahal.”

Another remarkable piece is Rina Banerjee’s ‘The World as Burnt Fruit’. It is a giant ball made of Japanese mosquito net imitating an open overripe fruit. Red and orange feathers, cowrie shells, glass vials and light bulbs make for its insides which are hanging out, and surprisingly a resin alligator forms the tip holding a globe in its mouth. It is almost like stepping into a theatrical, handmade fairy tale.

Roobina says, “All these came in pieces from the US where the artist stays. She provided the design and we assembled it into a sculptural installation.”

Also on display is Anish Kapoor’s stainless steel blue lacquered disk. The disk has multiple cells like a honey comb. It looks very normal when seen from a distance but when you stand in front of it, the magic begins. Your reflection appears in the scores of cells and the sight is confusing and unsettling. Roobina says, “The artist wants to convey that there are a thousand ways of seeing a particular thing. It is all about perceptions.” With many such eclectic works of art on display, ‘Crossings’ at KNMA is definitely worth a visit.