Brick in The Wall

Contested Spaces,curated by art critic Heidi Fichtner,showcases the angst felt by contemporary artists. Hosted at Aparajita Jain’s Gallery Seven Art Ltd,it features emerging artists like Tamhane,Prayas Abhinav and Waqif,alongside well-known names such as Riyas Komu and Tejal Shah.

“My idea for a show emerges more from art work than an abstract thought,” says America-based Fichtner,who has travelled to Paris and Germany. India is her favourite stopover since she has family here. For Contested Spaces,Fichtner began looking at Waqif and Tamhane’s works — both react strongly to certain public spaces. “I began to put together a show that reflected these concerns and figured in the works of Prayas,Riyas and Tejal,” says Fichtner,adding,“It doesn’t make a political statement,nor does it pretend to have a social impact. It’s simply about the avenues that are open for us to perceive and intervene into the lived social landscape as we know it.”

For Tamhane,taking photographs of the Pearson Airport in Toronto,as it was being demolished was a guerilla act. “I accessed areas that passengers couldn’t,like the detention rooms for suspicious people or the surveillance camera at the check in. Its about challenging the authority of a building like this,” says Tamhane,who lived a large part of her life in Canada. She also makes hyper-real drawings that render beauty in destruction.

The Bangalore-based Abhinav comments on breaking down of authority spaces through his site-specific work Breaking a Wall is Like Breaking Silence. This work consists of a false wall built in the gallery that conceals lightboxes showcasing stills of earlier performances. There is an accompanying video that depicts the artist breaking down a similar wall,reminiscent of the 1980s Pink Floyd video We don’t Need no Education.

Next up there is Komu’s triptych titled Expressions at Tihar that draws attention to structures designed for incarceration. The mixed-media work reveals how such architecture allows authorities to survey prisoners. “My intention is to bring in the ideas of surveillance,individual rebellion and the omnipresence of the State in a symbolic way,” says Komu.

The show is on till 14 February at Gallery Seven Art. Contact: 64640884