Art explores people's engagement with spaces around them

Inside the urban village of Khirki here, nine artists have come together to use art forms like drawings, video, mixed media installation, mirrors, metal and even shadows to create installations that define relationship of people with the spaces around them.
The artists Gagan Singh, Lleah Smith and James Gatt, Pooja Iranna, Priyamwada Singh, Samrudh Dixit, Sanket Jadia, Shaily Gupta and Henri Fanthome, Sikan Kumar Panda, and Teja Gavankar are participating in "Activating Space: A Sculptural Enquiry" at the Khoj Studios here.
The project "invites the most unusual, unique and bizarre materials into Khoj to permeate the exterior space and explore realms which otherwise can go by un-noticed. No interior studio or project space will be used in the installation of the exhibition," says Promona Sengupta, Program Manager, Khoj.

Gagan Singh, a Fine Arts graduate from UK, researches drawing through sketchbooks, animation, installation and writing.
He says about his work at Khoj,"..I would like to use the external spaces to create drawings, which could become interventions or lead to a new sense of perception of the same place."
Singh has made miniature size paper cut outs, mostly depicting himself in various situations, and placed these all over the Khoj staircase, railings and even walls.

In "Oasis" the work by Lleah Smith and James Gatt, part of the Sydney-based art collective 'Dandelion', have included a staircase laden with paper flowers and plastic bags filled with coloured water scattered on the rooftop.

"Life in India is undeniably chaotic, a land of millions, of the unexpected and of commotion, of loud noises, interesting smells, textured terrains and bargaining power.
"Rooftops in India offer a retreat even momentarily into a solo space for contemplation, personal reflection and silence," they say.
Artist Pooja Iranna, who has been working on the subject of architectural spaces for decades is known not only for her watercolours, staple pin sculptures, photographical work but also videos.
In her video "Swaas", Iranna shows "a single building breathing which takes our attention towards the spaces we create and then live in. These are alive and breathing just like us."

"The video would be shown in an enclosed space at Khoj studio with the sound of deep breath echoing around. This is to activate the whole building as such," says Iranna.