Art at the Olympics

Every October (since 2003),London’s Regent Park hosts one of the world’s most prestigious art fairs — the Frieze Art Fair. In 2009 and 2011,Mumbai’s Project 88 gallery was India’s contribution to the list of contemporary galleries that participated at the fair. Earlier this year,the non-profit arm of the art fair,the Frieze Foundation,announced a new project called Frieze Projects East. Although only four art projects have been commissioned for this series thus far,among the artists is the Kolkata-born Sarnath Banerjee,represented here by Project 88 gallery.

The works will be placed at various East London locations as part of the London 2012 Festival. This festival marks the finale of the Cultural Olympiad,the four-year cycle of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. While other artists will create sculptures,the now Berlin-based Banerjee — known for his bold graphic works — will produce a series of billboard posters and a graphic narrative. Banerjee will produce 48 posters — each of which will be on a different billboard in and around the host boroughs — that will depict sports persons who seem poised to lose. “These 48 billboards are about the people who almost made it,” says the 38-year-old,adding,“It’s autobiographical in a way because I know what it’s like to never win in competitive situations.”

For instance,one billboard will show a boxer who,as the bell rings,is thinking about how many punches he’ll have to avoid before the match ends. Another will show a pole vaulter who,mid-jump,begins to wonder if he’s chosen the right sport. Besides these,Banerjee will also produce a series of works that will be printed in local newspapers as an accompaniment to the posters. These will be anecdotes that correspond with the images on the billboards.