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A massive chess board is splashed over the canvas in Everybody Wants to Rule the World: Game On. One side of the board has western icons,and the other,Indian motifs; both trying to outdo each other in the quest to dominate. It is a playful depiction of how the West and India are interacting, says Uday K Dhar about the multimedia oil on canvas,which is part of his ongoing show called The Exquisite Corpse at the Visual Arts Gallery,India Habitat Centre.
I believe that all societies are experiencing global consumerism. It is a result of aspirational consumption,where identity is forged through the use of specific products that define who we are. It is also a cultural experience, says the 52-year-old artist,who was born in London and currently lives in New York. A Columbia University alumnus,Dhar is a recipient of the 2005 Jackson Pollock-Lee Krasner Foundation Grant and has previously exhibited in New York,Los Angeles,Berlin and Budapest.
The title of the exhibition is derived from a parlour game played by Surrealists it involves passing around a piece of paper,where each player draws an image without knowing what the others have made. Ultimately,the final image is open to individual interpretations, says Dhar,adding,Likewise,I want each viewer to have an opinion about my show.
In some works,Dhar has left a part of the canvas blank for visitors to the exhibition to fill. For instance,the canvas Duniya,where he had painted the words Duniya Ne Humko Diya Kiya has led to reactionary statements from viewers like we should be reasonable and bahut liye,ab dene ki baari hai. I am happy that people are responding, says Dhar. The exhibition ends on December 14. Contact: 41504521
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