Entangled Constellations
One of the many postulates of contemporary artistic practice is the radical rejection of the model of the ‘singular narrative’ and the proposition of a more fluid and inclusive approach to expression. It no longer aspires to represent the totality but to create a space that brings together multiple temporalities, themes, material cultures, and critical thinking for world-building. This practice cultivates a space for speculative thought and trial, functioning as a vital suture for the fractures within our collective consciousness. There is a palpable concern arising from the absence of a certain modality to pass through time. It is only through a shared encounter of the ruptures of the past and speculation of the future that the world can be reclaimed in its entirety.
While the manifestations of this practice are disparate, they are interconnected by a persistent engagement with the very crux of artistic production and its potential for expansion. The expansion begins with rethinking the very idea of the medium and unlearning the existing methods. The traditional understanding of the medium is limited, and the concept of the studio is monolithic. With shifts in global cultural and political constellations, the lingering effects of post-colonial discourses and the hyper-connectivity of globalisation, the very idea of methods and materials has become a significant and loaded trope in artistic production. Materials are not passive mediums but active agents, their inherent properties and historical indices becoming integral to the work’s expression. This is a move away from conventional materiality toward an experimental realm. Similarly, the studio is no longer a static space for creation, but a dynamic space like a laboratory to research, experiment, which itself constitutes a significant phase of artistic production.
Conceptualised around these changing ideas and artistic temperaments, the curated presentation, Entangled Constellations, brings together a diverse group of 15 artists who embody this multifaceted approach. The artworks by Anjan Modak, Arindam Chatterjee, Arunima Choudhury, Debashish Paul, Manmita Ray, Partha Pratim Deb, Pradip Das, Prasanta Sahu, Raja Boro, Ruma Choudhury, Santanu Debnath, Sayanee Sarkar, Suman Dey, Tapas Biswas and Vishal Kumar Gupta collectively form a vibrant zone that explores these shifting narratives and ideas.
