Collector’s Choice

It is perhaps rather unconventional that a gallery as established as Sakshi should choose a first time curator to put together their golden jubilee show. However,it’s not really that big a risk that the gallery,known for experimental works,have taken. Their chosen curator,the Delhi-based collector Swapan Seth,is a connoisseur in his own right,with a known preference for video art over more established forms like painting and sculpture. So,the exhibition,titled Scratch,scheduled to take off from November 12 at the Lalit Kala Akademi on Firoze Shah Road,will put together a quirky collection,primed to give the viewers something fresh to mull over. “When I was thinking about how to curate the show,I remembered American artist Edward Ruscha’s famous line,‘If it makes you scratch your head,it is art,’ and I decided to go with it,because it encompasses the spirit of Sakshi. Under its quiet and demure exteriors it has been cutting-edge,promoting art that went against the status quo consistently,” says Seth,43,managing partner of the art house Henry S Clark.

The exhibition will feature a range of media and a variety of artists. The new media artists include Hemali Bhuta,Neha Choksi,Rohini Devasher,Sarnath Banerjee and Asim Waqf. Painters and installation artists NS Harsha,Sunil Gawde too feature in the line-up,while the international artists include performance and installation artist Noriko Yamaguchi from Japan,sound artist Wang Fujui and video artist Wu Chi-Tsung,both from Taiwan and Jorge Mayet from Spain.

Seth says the idea behind taking such a diverse group was to let each individual do their own thing. “I don’t quite understand how a show ‘comes together’. I’ve seen several shows with evocative titles that masquerade as the glue of gravitas,but I still don’t get it. In a divisive world such as ours,there is no pressing need to get things together,” says Seth. More seriously he says he made his choices based on the fact that their works are ‘fresh and formidable’. “What binds it together is audacity. Honestly,” he says firmly.

Of course,that does not mean Seth is not nervous. However,gallery owners Geetha Mehra and Usha Gawde have full faith on his ability. “Swapan is a well-known collector and his specialised interest in new media and video art has been a defining factor for inviting him to curate our week-long show,” says Mehra.

Depending on how the venture takes off,Seth says he would not mind taking up curating on a regular basis. “I am told that some people make a living out of doing such stuff. And advertising doesn’t pay as much these days. So yes,I would do it,” he grins.