An exhibition with a political edge, open to all – to see, interpret and buy

Organisers of the ‘Paper and Play’ exhibition, ongoing at Gallery XXL in Defence Colony until August 22, said it was important to ensure that interest in the exhibits was not limited to art collectors alone.

So the least expensive exhibit costs only Rs 100, Sarah Malik, who has curated the show with Giulia Ambrogi and Priyanshi S., said. “And the most expensive is a hand-painted work by (the Japanese-American graffiti artist) AIKO which costs Rs 2 lakh.”

A fire extinguisher artwork. (Express Photo)

More than 200 artworks are stickers, prints, and matchboxes; around 500 are publications. “We want the exhibition to be for students, culture workers, and anyone who is interested in art,” Malik said.

AIKO, who is a co-founder of the artists’ collective FAILE, which came to be known for wheatpasting and stencilling images around New York City, said street graffiti offered her a language that was “immediate, free, and alive”.

“A mural isn’t experienced in isolation, it is shaped by the neighbourhood, the architecture, the people passing by, and even the time of day. Viewers often discover the work unexpectedly, which creates a more direct and spontaneous connection. You don’t need a ticket or an invitation to experience it. For me, it’s about creating something that captures attention while also encouraging people to pause, reflect, and maybe see their surroundings a little differently,” she told The Indian Express over the phone from New York City.

Khatra, the artist who created the fire extinguisher artwork as part of a 2022-23 series on the emotional weight of safety in the post-pandemic period, said he wanted to “turn a familiar emergency object into something that invites attention and reflection, rather than disappearing into the background until it is needed”.

Khatra uses retroreflective vinyl which is used in street signs and on trucks and taxis, along with spray paint and paint markers, which are staples of street art.

‘Zines’ – short for magazine or fanzine; self-published booklets that are usually made by hand or photocopied in small numbers, with a focus on creative freedom rather than profit – are an important part of the ‘Paper and Play’ exhibition.

Debashish, an artist from Bangladesh, said the nature of the exhibition allowed artists to choose those for whom their art was intended. “These formats, posters, zines, matchbox labels, packaging design…are not exclusively designed for gallery walls or artistic establishments… When I work with these forms, I’m making a decision about who the work is for and how it should travel,” he said.

Co-curator Malik pointed out that posters, zines and similar forms of visual communication were able to reach people who may never enter a gallery in the normal course. The language of visuals – brash and eye-catching – has increasingly become part of protests, memes and political culture online; it was a very prominent part, for example, of last month’s GenZ and student protests at Jantar Mantar.

The political context of art stands out in the Paper and Play exhibition. The names of the zines – ‘How To Write (Not another hero) Journey’, ‘KNAP’, ‘Sports Sucks’ – the text on exhibits such as matchboxes (‘Caution: May ignite conversation’), and publications such as ‘Modernism/Murderism’ and ‘Blaft’s Anthology of Gujarati Pulp Fiction’, make a series of statements on caste discrimination, queer identity, political resistance, and feminism.

None of the works carry description tags, and the name of the artist is taped on the floor, so only those who seek them see them. “I think it prods the viewer to question or think a little bit more about the art in front of them,” Malik said. The point is to allow the viewer to interpret the artwork without nudging them towards a ‘right’ interpretation, they said.

Sitting on the floor by a window, a student viewer said: “I don’t know where I can display these zines, but I am going to give them to my friends to read. We can pass the matchbox around too, and sit on that spray-painted chair. That chair would have been such a hit at Jantar Mantar.”