Works in Progress

What: A solo show of oils on canvas titled “Malevich Matters and Other Shutters”. The exhibition is named after the Russian painter Kazimir Malevich who Dodiya admires. The painter will also tip his hat to other influences in his artistic life including tributes to contemporaries like Ravindra Reddy. He calls this body of work a “lucid dream of unrelated objects floating in my head,but uniting on my canvas.” The Fool’s House is a painting that puts together several of Dodiya’s favourite works on one canvas: There is an image of Reddy’s gold-painted tribal woman,the much quoted image of an iron-press with spikes by surrealist Man Ray and Dodiya’s own image of the half-open shutters and the map of India. “The image is painted in oils—after a long time I’m enjoying the impasto of thick paint. This is a progression from painting upon actual three-dimensional shop shutters that I did in 2003,” says Dodiya,50.

Where: Vadehra Art Gallery

When:March.

Akbar Padamsee

What: While working on a new body of paintings,titled Metascapes for a solo show,Padamsee made a discovery. “I noticed I had used a lot of tertiary colours,besides primary and secondary colours,” says Padamsee,a senior artist who was associated with the Bombay Progressives Artists Group PAG. “When I did this I was reminded of Marcel Duchamp who always spoke of art through the metaphor of a chess game. In chess,if you make one move it affects the whole game,and now I understood how that was relevant to my painting,because by adding one tertiary colour the whole painting changed,” says Padamsee,whose 4x4ft oil on canvas was painted with a palette knife using thick impasto.

Where: Pundole Art Gallery in Flora Fountain,Mumbai

When: January.

Bose Krishnamachari

what: Expanding his pet venture,the Laboratory of Visual Arts (LaVA),into a mobile art project. This virtual museum of contemporary art,consisting of books,films and Bose’s handcrafted funky furniture,will travel across the country spreading the message of art. Bose has designed a mobile consisting of two Tata trailer containers of 40ft each. These will be equipped with TV monitors,1,400 DVDs,5,000 books (showcased in his signature funky shelves) and two halls for the public laboratory. “When I had taken my first project “De-curating” to Kerala,the response was so overwhelming. I’ve dreamt of making this installation/ laboratory mobile since. It will show at educational institutions,along the highway and villages. LAva has already shown in six cities,” says Bose,47.

Where: Across the country’s highways

When: March.

Jitish Kallat

What: The Mumbai-based artist,known for his monumental works,is planning a large immersive video projection that will simulate a journey through space. The planets and stars,galactic clusters and nebula are replaced by hundreds of X-ray scans of food. He says,“This dark,cryptic,hypnotic space,when viewed a little longer,can begin to appear like floating cellular formations and suspended tumours morphing inside of the body. The work evokes notions of sustenance,survival and mortality.” The exhibition,titled “Astronomy of the Subway”,will also have ‘Untitled (Anger at the Speed of Fright)’ in which hundreds of tiny figures,brandishing weapons,are caught in what appears like a street riot,giving an absurd God’s eye-view of violence.

Where: Haunch of Venison,London

When: February.

Gigi Scaria

What: His concern about rapid construction and the changing cityscape will continue in a forthcoming series. On a wall,Scaria will mount his window-shaped relief work in aluminum sheet and wood. The shutters are fixed and the view from the window will have one glancing at numerous apartment buildings that are commonplace in urban spaces. “It comments on the thickly populated cities,” says the Delhi-based artist. Several of his previous artwork commenting on the metropolis might have had a link with Delhi ,but Scaria feels the relevance is global and the work is also apt for Dubai ,where it will be showcased. “There has been a construction drive on there for many years,” he adds.

Where: Chemould Prescott stall,Dubai Art Fair

When: March.

Jiten thukral and sumir tagra

What: The duo has a knack of turning everyday products into artwork. Not too long ago they converted a corner of an art gallery into a mall with an installation designed as a supermarket. In their studio in Gurgaon,the two are now working on a canvas where,in tandem with their moniker “Bose DK”,“the labels become art and the art is in the labelling.” The work will be part of an exhibition titled Exhibition ‘Urban Matters’. On a 120×72 inch diptych titled Overcooked,Overdose and Overcast -1 the cloud of smoke seems to have led to an eruption of bottles and cans. “This pictures a universe composed of our personalised products and consumerism takes on monstrous proportions,” they explain.

Where: Sao Paulo ,Brazil

When: January.

Riyas Komu

What: While soccer fans head to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup in June,in London Riyas Komu will exhibit an artwork that uses the game as a metaphor. Instead of bricks,his 40×14 ft wall will be made with over 1,000 metal footballs. “It comments on how the marginalised are dealt with by the political administration and attitudes and relations with other people,” says Komu,who also did his bit for Indian football with a series titled “Mark Him” dedicated to Indian players in 2008.

Where: Aicon Gallery,London

When: June.

Shilpa Gupta

What: Taking off from her well-received sensor-based interactive works,Gupta’s ambitious new project is Speaking Wall. The “wall” begins to talk when one stands near the sensor and it says “Now you are on the line where last night I made the border. But since it is raining today it’s a bit difficult to see it.” The 34-year-old new media artist says that the work is about how nature knows no geographical boundaries. Accompanying this piece will be trademark Gupta giveaways like latex balloons inscribed with the words “I want to live with no fear” and a bathing soap carved with bold letters that spell the word ‘threat’.

Where: Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati ,USA

When: February.