In the 35 years since its inception, Gallery Espace in Delhi has become a veritable institution in the arts space through its promotion of Indian contemporary art. Hence, the celebrations for achieving this milestone are bound to be grand, with four different exhibitions being organised over the winter season. Founded by Renu Modi in 1989, the focus of this gallery has always been on promoting emerging and well-established artists in the contemporary sphere.
Over the years, they have organised many exhibitions of note. In the 1990s, there was Drawing ’94, Sculpture ’95, Miniprint ’96, and ‘The Self and The World’ (1997), which brought together 16 Indian women artists from Amrita Sher-Gil to Anjolie Ela Menon. In later years, the gallery began promoting fresh talent and experimental art practices with exhibitions like ‘Kitsch Kitsch Hota Hai’ (2001), an exposition of pop and kitsch in contemporary art; ‘Leela’ (2003), which grew out of a residency featuring Bhupen Khakar, Amit Ambalal, Atul and Anju Dodiya in Haridwar; ‘Lo Real Maravilloso’ (2009), an overview of magic realism in art, and two editions of ‘Video Wednesday’ (2008-09 and 2011-12), dedicated to video art. Other important shows at the gallery were ‘A Cry from the Narrow Between’ (2010) – a two person show of Tejal Shah and Han Bing, contemporary artists from India and China, respectively; ‘Drawing Show’ (2014), ‘Diary Entries’ [2016], and the India-Sri Lanka project ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ (2016).
They also broke ground by being one of few galleries to showcase international art, namely Alberto Cavazos, the ‘Picasso of Mexico’ in 1992; Parvaneh Etemadi, the acclaimed Iranian artist in 1995; Talha Rathore from Pakistan in 1998; and Sri Lankan artists Jagath Weerasinghe, Anura Krishantha and Pala Pothupitiye, who were part of a 2012 exhibition titled ‘Narrative of Resistance’ that reflected upon a country devastated by war.
“Alongside hosting exhibitions and supporting artists, we have always encouraged critical
discourse around art with art addas or informal discussions held alongside exhibitions. We have also published several critical publications such as Weaving Darkness—Zarina Hashmi, Trace-Retrace—Nilima Sheikh, Flux—Ravi Agarwal, Confessions of an Evil
Orientalist by Waswo X Waswo, and Bronze — Celebrating Centenary of Ramkinker Baij,” shares Modi.
On the occasion of completing 35 years, the gallery has curated a series of exhibitions to represent the widespread scope of its work. The first of these is ‘Ancestral Futures’, curated by Damien Christinger. It is on display from October 19 to December 12 and it offers a retrospective look at Gallery Espace’s journey so far while exploring contemporary art practices looking to the future. With a host of participating artists including the likes of Arunkumar HG, Ashish Sahoo, Ashok Ahuja, Harendra Kushwaha, Ishita Chakraborty, Nandini Bagla Chirimar, Maze Collective, Michael Guenzberger, Ravi Agarwal, Sharad Sonkusale, Sonia Mehra Chawla, Ujjal Dey and Ursula Biemann, this exhibition examines the history of Gallery Espace and the space it has fashioned for itself in today’s art landscape seen from an outside perspective.
As Christinger puts it, “How do we celebrate the history of an art gallery that helped to shape the Indian art scene from 35 years ago until today? Or to ask this more generally: How do we bring our pasts into futures? Shared stories, individual experiences, cultural expressions, ideas of progress promised, fulfilled, or broken, dreams of achievements and growth. We can’t just dwell on the past, but the sole orientation towards the future might also blind us to what exists around us in the present. Ancestral Futures (a term first coined by Brazilian thinker Ailton Krenak) envisions possibilities of bringing these contradictions together. The concept of ‘ancestral futures’ intertwines the past, present, and future, positing that ancestral histories profoundly influence our understanding of time and identity. In the realm of art, this idea provides a rich tapestry for creative expression, prompting artists to engage with their heritage while imagining the possibilities that lie ahead. This exhibition explores the significance of ancestral futures in art, reflecting on how artists utilize their cultural narratives to challenge contemporary issues and envision hopeful trajectories.”
To this, Modi adds, “Ancestral Futures is a unique show that looks at the gallery’s past in light of the art being practiced in contemporary times. Damian’s curatorial premise for the show offers an outside view of Gallery Espace’s history, indeed that of contemporary Indian art over the past 35 years. While rooted in an Indian aesthetic, the Gallery has always taken pride in being ahead of the times, be it with the two editions of Video Wednesdays, which was the first sustained video art programme by an Indian gallery. Take Harendra Kushwaha, who works with paper – a medium that the Gallery has long championed. His artwork in the show is a large mobile that hangs in the atrium space, which extends his practice in new directions. Similarly, Arunkumar HG will showcase in the new ‘project space’ on the floor above his new body of work featuring a series of lenticular prints that address the environmental degradation of the Western Ghats.”
The other exhibits as part of the celebrations include ‘Not, Still Life’, a selection of the ceramics of Shirley Bhatnagar, which was on display till November 19 in the gallery’s bookshelf. It presented her exploration of anthropomorphism through objets d’art. There was also a solo exhibition of Amit Ambalal’s recent watercolours and canvases, which was the 81-year-old artist’s first solo in the gallery after 10 years.
‘Memory Fields’, curated by Gayatri Sinha is another interesting exhibition which will be on display from November 29 to December 12 at Bikaner House, and then at Gallery Espace from December 18 to January 15, 2025. As Modi explains, “This exhibition explores how memory shapes our understanding of self and society, featuring work by some of India’s most distinguished contemporary artists.” ‘Memory Fields’ presents works by 38 artists that have shaped and contributed to India’s contemporary art scene. Each of these artists have been part of the gallery’s journey.
The artists include Anupam Sud, Amit Ambalal, Amitava Das, Anandajit Ray, Bhupen Khakar, Chitra Ganesh, Dilip Chobisa, G R Iranna, J Swaminathan, Jeram Patel, Karl Antao, M F Husain, Madan Lal, Madhvi Parekh, Mala Marwah, Manisha Gera Baswani, Manjit Bawa, Manjunath Kamath, Manu Parekh, Mekhala Bahl, Mona Rai, Nagji Patel, Nilima Sheikh, Paula Sengupta, Prabhakar Barwe, Puneet Kaushik, Purvai Rai, Rajendar Tiku, Ravi Agarwal, Shambhavi, Sheetal Gattani, Shobha Broota, Sonia Khurana, Sudarshan Shetty, Tanmoy Samanta, Vasudevan Akkitham, Waswo X. Waswo and Zarina.
Sinha shares, “Gallery Espace has weathered enormous changes over a 35-year period to emerge as a powerhouse of Indian contemporary art on the national scene. I believe Renu Modi has shown enormous tenacity in guiding her gallery through these times, building up a core group of exceptional artists, and adhering to an aesthetic vision which has endured and flourished over time. The upcoming exhibition will draw on these strengths to celebrate 35 years of Gallery Espace.”
“’Memory Fields’ brings together many of the artists who were responsible for shaping Espace and my thinking about Indian aesthetics – Husain, Swaminathan and Manjit; Jeram, Nagji bhai, and Zarina, who had important solo exhibitions with Espace at a time there was little enthusiasm among collectors for their works; Mala Marwah, Manu and Madhvi Parekh, Nilima Sheikh – friends, associates, sounding boards; and last, but not the least, Kamath, Iranna, Mekhala, Ravi, Chitra, Purvai and all the amazing artists on Espace’s roster now. Rooted in Indian aesthetics, Espace’s programming has consistently strived to remain relevant to the times, with exhibitions that address contemporary concerns and showcase new age mediums,” says Modi.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.