This is an archive article published on November 23, 2018

Mind Games

Artist Gigi Scaria explores the idea of the self and how it is conditioned by complexities of the present day.

4 min readNov 23, 2018 12:02 AM IST

Gigi Scaria, Gigi Scaria’s exhibition Ecce Homo, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, environment, urbanisation, migration, Indian Express

The work titled Thinker.

Considered the last book written by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, before his final years of insanity, Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is, is often viewed as his last testament, where the philosopher both applauds and questions himself and also suggests how a superhuman can perhaps manoeuvre all challenges. His thoughts, over the years, have seen varied interpretations, and now they form the thrust of Gigi Scaria’s exhibition “Ecce Homo”, on view at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi.

“One can have everything s/he wants but at what cost? There could be consequences of following the Nietzschean model,” says Scaria. He leads his audience to the exhibition — where, Nietzsche’s philosophy is implemented in contemporary times. There are no direct references, but Scaria, 45, attempts to respond to and review the current socio-political context, and places the individual as the central figure in the larger ethos.

Artist Gigi Scaria.

The showcase, in some ways, takes forward his abiding engagements with the issues of environment, urbanisation and migration. If in his 2017 solo “All About This Side” at Aicon Gallery in New York, the urban stories related more specifically to environmental degradation, in the current showcase he delves deeper into the human mind. Among others, is a reference to French artist Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker. Scaria’s bronze male sits on a well, even as water gushes from underneath — commenting, among others, on the depleting water resources. Power Test is a fist fight, representing the constant everyday battles and challenges.

Story continues below. Subscribe to see fewer ads.

Scaria does not give his protagonists a moment of peace. The human figures seem shattered and burdened under constant pressure, battling the self and their surroundings. In Human Pull, for instance, the man of top of a human pyramid earns an angelic wing but no apparent contentment. “Human beings put in so much effort to reach the top but what if they find nothing at the top,” notes Scaria. He also comments on being a slave to society in Conviction, a set of three drawings where he borrows from the widespread imagery of Hanuman, where Rama is believed to reside in his chest. Scaria has the digital signs for play, pause, play. “Individuals can become a puppet in someone’s hand,” observes the Delhi-based artist.

The recent cases of lynchings also prompt a work. In the video Disclaimer, Scaria suggests how, perhaps a magician is performing tricks with people. He records a magician playing the popular Three Cup Game, moving onto images of dead bodies. “It could be all somebody else’s doing,” says Scaria.

The past was not too different from the present. The dark history of the rhyme Ringa Ringa Roses (Ring Around the Rosie) is also referred too — believed to have its origin in the Great Plague in Europe during medieval times, where several people lost their lives. In his work, Scaria has women in bronze holding hands and standing in a circle. “It is a comment on how we treat our women, coming from different backgrounds,” says the artist. He ends where he begins — this show, he says, is not a digression from his more familiar practice but an extension. The exhibition is on at Vadehra Art Gallery, D-53, Defence Colony, till November 24

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram

Loading Recommendations...

Sep 16: Latest News

Live Blog