Urban Legend

For an upbeat Kallat,this is one of the most satisfying phases of his life. “I have been living with this idea for the last one-and-a-half years. Now,I see it realised,” says the artist. Those familiar with Kallat’s work also know about the show’s theme. He has been cataloguing life and death on an urban landscape for nearly 16 years now. However,his projects have grown larger and diverse with each new show. The Astronomy of the Subway combines his artistic expressions as a painter,photographer as well as a new media artist.

In fact,the London show—which is on till March 27—takes forward some of his earlier works. For example,in 2008,he had exhibited X-Rayed foodstuffs at Haunch of Venison,Zurich. This time,he has created a video installation with X-Rayed foodstuffs which when projected will give an impression that they pour out as asteroids,stellar formations,planetary clusters and nebulae from a dark celestial space. He has also improvised his creation Eclipse for the forthcoming exhibition to blend in with the theme. This one depicts a lunar cycle,but actually holds together a host of images of chapattis at various stages of consumption.

At the heart of these images is Kallat’s impulse to be playful. The end result,of course,is more meaningful,revealing quirks and ways of the city. “A lot of things about the city and its people appear trivial till one takes a closer look at it. Only then does a more meaningful thing emerge,” he says. This was the reason for him to stop people on the streets and take photos of their bulging shirt pockets. “These pockets contain almost everything that a man needs for the period he is away from home. And the collage of 108 such pockets presents a very interesting imagery of urban life,” he says. Similarly,when 365 photos of dents in cars are put together for another art work,it becomes a documentation of collisions in the urban world.

The influence of Mumbai,with its multiple personalities,is apparent on the 35-year-old artist. “I was born and brought up in this city. Its streets are my university,” he declares. Kallat’s works,like Annexation and Cholorophyll Park,are proof of it. Annexation has replica of the sculptures on the Victoria Terminus’s porch,created on a 72-inch kerosene stove with clay. The latter are photographic pieces wherein all traces of asphalt in the city’s street have been replaced by wheatgrass. “With every new show,the circumference of my urban themes are expanded,” says the artist who is likely to show his work in Mumbai towards the end of 2010.