Breaking the Mould

Artist Shetty,49,agrees it is fortuitous to have his work showcased at the entrance. “The idea behind this work is to comment on the sanctity of the museum and how it ensures a long life for art. It raises the question— does a leaning statue even deserve to be in a museum collection?” he says. His sculpture is delicately balanced by a donation box. As the box fills up with coins it will outweigh the statue,returning it to the pedestal. The Mumbai-based artist who has shown this sculpture at a solo at Bhaudaji Lad Museum,Mumbai,says it took over Rs 25,000 in coins for the work to level the last time it was showcased. Gaurav Karan of Crayon Capital though says that despite better organisation,the pricing of the sculpture is a trifle disconcerting. “I came across larger works of Anish Kapoor which are cheaper than some of his smaller pieces,” he says.

Gupta’s limited edition lotas in a rickshaw,displayed outside the Summit,are from the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Noida. The steel tiffin – boxes displayed inside the Summit grounds at Peter Nagy’s booth are on a similar vein though they are a take-off from his Sushi Belt sculpture. “These works foreground my preoccupation with working class issues and the politics of food. One day I am going to open my own restaurant,” says Gupta,46.

Rathore,32,is a Madhya Pradesh-born artist and his work stands out as having a distinctly local flavour to it.

“I wanted to capture the hopes and dreams of people in Rajasthan,where I had an artist residency. The pots or beads are hooked up to speakers that play audio recordings of whispered prayers of the locals,” says Rathore.