Works by leading artists like Jogen Chowdhury, Laxma Goud, Ram Kumar and Ganesh Pyne among others, which explore modern concepts ranging from alienation to existentialism are being showcased at a mega art show here.
Curated by Kolkata-based art expert and historian Arun Ghose, the exhibition "Situationism by Sanchit" at the Sanchit Art Gallery opened here late last evening.
"The form of art called Situationism began in the 1960s with an evolving theory of alienation. The theory suggests that human beings are bound to feel alienated and hence the problem of alienation remains a core situation in our lives," Ghose said.
The concept, said Ghose, was gradually picked up in the field of music and literature and later became a larger part of socio-political commentary within the system.
From ink-coloured pencil sketches depicting the lives of Baul singers to water coloured paintings of couples living in poverty, the artworks promises to "bring alive the anxiety of existentialism within each soul."
"The paintings in the gallery compels one to think and question the existence and the feeling of alienation in this world," Ghosh said.
The artworks also depict issues of cultural translations and time-space crossings.
Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs and Planning Rajeev Shukla, who inaugurated the event said, "The gallery has a great collection with renowned artists. I appreciate the years of research the gallery has put in for promoting contemporary artwork."
Bollywood personality Ajitabh Bachchan, entrepreneur and book publisher Ajay Mago and model-turned-actor Naseer Abdullah as well as art curators Anjanna and Rajni Kuthiala were among those who attended the launch.
"We aim to promote the best of modern and contemporary Indian art. Now with our presence in the capital, we shall continue to present an exquisite range of paintings by masters of the new era for art lovers. I hope our latest show 'Situationism' will be appreciated too," Sushil Joshan, Gallery promoter said.
The current exhibition has been scheduled to continue till December 9.
The gallery, which began operations in Agra in 2010, later set up another gallery in Delhi and has equipped it with special museum grade lighting to display artworks. Previously the gallery had partnered with the InvesArt Gallery of Spain to show Picasso and Braque, among others, at the India Art Fair.
