Shows are issue-based for curator Pooja Sood

quot;From Empire to Emporiumquot;, set to begin on August 7, traces the history of khadi from the pre-Gandhi era when it was worn by peasants and artisans to the present when it has become a mockery in the hands of politicians. The exhibition shows the problems faced by khadi in the initial days of its adoption. quot;Many people used to write to Gandhiji, especially women as they wanted to wear khadi but couldn8217;t as white was associated with widowhood,quot; says Pooja.

quot;I have brought out the pro and anti faces of khadi. For example, Sarojini Naidu refused to wear it saying it was too heavy, while Jamnalal Bajaj threw everything that was imported in the house into fire and adopted khadi. So the exhibition is an exploration for a viewer, a journey through the hitherto unexplored regions of a symbol of our nation8217;s ethos.quot;

A thoroughly researched project, the exhibition was part of the recent Utsav in South Africa which was held as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. quot;Now, khadi has got restricted to the emporia, the ramps and politician8217;s wardrobe. So, we are telling our viewers what it meant then and what it means now,quot; Pooja states.

Her another dream project, which she had curated with sociologist Dr Patricia Uberoi, delineates Calendar art. Titled quot;From Goddess to Pin-upquot;, the exhibition tells us about this almost dead art with focus on the icons of femininity. It was during her stint as the director of Delhi8217;s Eicher Gallery that she launched these innovative shows. quot;We were the first to bring the street art into a gallery. And when we took it to Australia, it became an instant hit, for there popular culture is something that has the pulling power.quot;

This show, to be inaugurated on August 8, is also well-researched and the main contributor was Christopher Pinny of London-based School for Oriental and African Studies, who has the largest collection of Calendar art. quot;The Calendar art featured women in various forms _ as mother, goddess, vamp, a commodity and also as the subdued victim. And interestingly, the effort is to show that whatever the calendars depicted earlier are all there in modern times too,quot; says this product of the Department of Fine Arts, Panjab University, from where she did her masters in 92. According to Neelam Man Singh Chowdhary, the chairperson of the Academy, the purpose behind this exhibition is to tell the people that street art has more vitality and dynamism than the studio art. So, catch on, folks.