Body and Soul

This exhibition germinated from an interview that left an impression on Geeti Sen. In 2005,when the art critic had spoken to Malavika Sarukkai,the danseuse had equated the body to a dynamic vessel composed of different energies.

Five artists turn their attention to the human body

This exhibition germinated from an interview that left an impression on Geeti Sen. In 2005,when the art critic had spoken to Malavika Sarukkai,the danseuse had equated the body to a dynamic vessel composed of different energies. Two years later,Sen set out to find similar representation in the works of different artists,and now she has her finding on the walls of Art Alive gallery in a group show titled Body as Vessel.

Indian tradition has a unique notion of body. It conceives it as sacred,having a universe within itself. The show has artists who express the body as sacred geography,made of hidden resources, says Sen,as she points out to the works of the five artists Anupam Sud,Gogi Saroj Pal,Mithu Sen,Puneet Kaushik and Shambhavi Singh. I wanted to include artists from different generations, adds Sen.

Even though a concept note for the exhibition was sent to each artist,Sen did not want them to make works based solely on her writing. Instead,she sifted through their previous artwork to find those that fit into the theme. If in Suds 1995 etching titled Between Vows and Words (top) she finds the artist making a statement on matrimony when a man and woman are compressed into the foreground,in Gogi Saroj

Pals Natti Binodini series (below),the representation of the celebrated Bengali actress comes across as intriguing.

In the work of Mithu Sen,the body is fragmented. She dissects it into different organs. Singh,on the other hand,has a more literal projection of the body as vessel and sacred,as she paints it against the backdrop of the universe. The aim is also to showcase the changes that have taken place in the manner the body is perceived, says Sen. She leaves it to the audience to analyse the details.

The exhibition is on at Art Alive gallery till April 25.
Contact: 41639000

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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