OVER the years Max City Mumbai has been enriched with the finest traditions of cultural exchange, thanks to the presence of consulates representing their diverse countries. The body of diplomats is a family that etches their mark, and while they find a place in the heart of the city and the city grows on them, it is time for the corps to move to the inevitable next deputation.
Veda
I GOT an invite from the spouse of the erstwhile Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye, Mumbai, who has taken charge of his diplomatic mission at Ankara. Fisun Talay Yavuzcan’s love for India (three years in Delhi and two in Mumbai) saw her immerse herself in its festivals and cuisine. She recently won the award for the best bracelet design at the very competitive Singapore Jewellery Design with her entry of the “Anatolian Bloom” — an intricate stunner depicting tulips.
Our common love for design and the arts forged a connection that held the promise of Turkish coffee or tea. She remembered and it was a delight to be part of the celebrations to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye. I watched the screen of endless scenic visuals, and for a long time, it transported me to the natural beauty of Türkiye Cumhuriyeti. The hospitality was generous with the most amazing food and baklava that you can feast on. Bonhomie hallmarked the evening.
Here’s wishing the very best to Consul General Cüneyt Yavuzcan or “Güle güle” as he left smiling to his mission and a warm welcome or “Hoş karşılama|” to his successor, Kemalettin Eruygur.
Festival of Lights
THE wealth of art is my way of a prosperous dhanteras. Nature Morte is Mumbai’s latest “A City of Lights” which hits you with the often spooky envelope of LED we are surrounded by. I took a chair to let the works based on experiments of artists in the 60s connect in the quiet of the beautiful space. This is what we need for sure, the artistic use of Mark Prime’s recycled and industrial material. It is usual to have benches to view the works in a gallery.
Would have loved to soak in the paintings and thought process of artist Mark but was not sure that he would approve of a chair in the white cube. So headed to explore the abundance of magnificent art in the city. Always a festive feel with so much art to savour!
Experimenter
PRESENTED by Experimenter, Bhasha Chakrabarti’s first solo in the Colaba Gallery, “Karvat” takes inspiration from Ismat Chughtai’s short story “Lifaaf.” The show opened with the artist walkthrough with Mario D’Souza. She gave us insights into the process and depiction of how two women explore desire in the shadows and comfort of the malleability of the nocturnal quilt.
A quilter before she turned painter, the influence of her residency at Hampi’s landscape becomes evident in her contextualisation of the carnality of the quilt. Bhasha has used mining waste to mill and extract her own pigments to paint the landscape dust.
In the opening frame, the neglected Begum turns to satiate her desires. Objects like cards and a spittoon symbolize her lifestyle of leisure. Her domain holds reference to Matisse’s “The Red Room.” Bhasha has turned the objects of furniture interactive to evoke the mood with Music and sounds that mimic this lifestyle.
She extends the fluidity of the quilt as a turbulent ocean or in the form of clouds. Entitled Nephology or the study of clouds, her use of indigo-grounded paper made from old linen stems from another of her facets, her practice of making paper. Particularly endearing is the monogramed kitchen cloth which forms her canvas, as linen was too expensive at her residency in Netherlands.
It was Prateek Raja’s online Walkthroughs at Experimenter Kolkatta that engaged me during the pandemic restrictions. He and Priyanka have since created a niche that challenges and is mindful of meaningful Art in Mumbai.
Till 20th December, 2024
The Cycle of Life
YARDENA Kurulkar’s “The Body in Agreement” exhibition at Chemould Prescott Road comes six years after her last solo show.
The series of etchings is an expression of her visits to the Jewish cemetery at Chinchpokli. Yardena’s approach as an artist is a philosophical inquiry into human mortality, memory and time. The seminal work “Kenosis” was previously exhibited at the Kochi Biennale in 2016. The terracotta organs, in this case, the heart, depict the cycle of life and death, a theme that runs throughout her works.
The installations and sculptures explore the relationship between the artist’s body and her environment using various forms of media, and 3D printing technology to analyze say in “Kenosis” using her own heart. Her central gigantic rocking chair wears a spine for a backrest, and bony feet that align you to a caregiver’s ringside view. The video shot in the vicinity of the place is seamlessly looped in and rivets you to reflect on the inevitable circle or cycle of Life.
On till November 30, 2024
Photography
I HAD a quick dekho at the recently concluded Annu Palakunnathu Mathew’s “The answers take time.” Presented by the oldest museum in the city, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, or BDL to frequenters. The external project space hosts a treasure of exhibitions that are city-centric despite the main museum being under renovation for a long time.
In collaboration with sepiaEYE, the curation, by Esa Epstein showcases eight bodies of works. Annu uses photographs, collage, animation and parody to present cultural identities. They often dwell on archival photographs to find historical narratives, deeply personal as well, that provide insights into the legacies of colonization. The present context is of the work being a living legacy. The archival objects carry the viewer, who can identify as the migrant, to travel into the future.
Annu’s work has received international acclaim. She has had solo exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) among a host of prestigious institutions that acknowledge the significance of her subject and artistic contribution.
A professor of art at the University of Rhode Island, she is a mentor to students and emerging artists. In a city short-sighted with the pressure of time and place, the depth of the effort that explores the many dimensions of a migrant in search of documented memories is what makes for a meaningful existence.
Upcoming: “One Hundred Thousand Suns” by Rohini Devasher, in collaboration with Project88 Curator: BDL’s Director Tasneem Zakaria Mehta.
On from November 14 -December 20, 2024
Integration
OVER the pandemic I have been getting persistent updates from award-winning Ayesha Talyerkhan who elevated her photography to create ingenious dimensions with tech interventions. It has led her to multiple showings from Tao Art Gallery to the present showing at one of the oldest galleries in Bombay, Cymroza at Breach Candy. Her series of images titled “Integration 3.0” is a re-birthing or a reincarnation of photographs.
Integration aims to connect and embrace communities and humanity, into the fabric of life. The layering and texturing of the colours is a crucial part of the process; where the computer functions to create vibrant-coloured symmetry.
Her artworks are positioned next to a Thota Vaikuntham amidst multiple artists. As she explains, the secret to her work is restraint, knowing instinctively when to stop. The aesthetics are colourful renditions of deities and superimposed profiles that become visible as you dwell on the work.
Baro Crafts
THE North East selection at Baro Market, Vintage Garden, is full of collectibles that make your heart skip a beat. I am at the crossroads of a detox on the desire to acquire and not wanting to miss out on this one-of-a-kind exquisite craft. The purse strings made a mindful choice of a bright runner with kantha work.
The festive season has the city twinkling with lights and kandeels that bring in the “dhan” of goodwill and cheer. Happy Diwali, people!