Deepak Ananth on the challenges of translating Indian contemporary art for Western audiences
In a 2007 article for artpress, art historian Deepak Ananth examines how Indian contemporary art is often perceived in the West, frequently simplified to a notion of exoticism. He reflects on the 2006 'Indian' celebrations in Lille and the exhibition 'Bombay: Maximum City,' which showcased an array of impactful artworks. Conversely, the 2005 exhibition 'Indian Summer,' which Ananth co-curated, highlighted 24 artists from the 1990s, such as Subodh Gupta and Sheela Gowda, exploring the tension between the local and global. Ananth calls for a 'cultural translation' of Indian art, drawing on Walter Benjamin's ideas. He also mentions the persecution of M.F. Husain and the arrest of Chandramohan at M.S. University, concluding with two exhibitions in Paris from 2007: 'India, art contemporain indien' and Rina Banerjee.
Key facts
- Deepak Ananth is an art historian and critic who co-curated the 2005 exhibition 'Indian Summer' at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris.
- The exhibition featured 24 Indian artists who emerged in the 1990s, a period coinciding with India's economic liberalization.
- Ananth critiques Western reception of Indian contemporary art as exoticizing and superficial, citing Lille's 2006 festivities and the exhibition 'Bombay: Maximum City'.
- Artists discussed include Subodh Gupta, Sheela Gowda, N.S. Harsha, Sharmila Samant, and the Raqs Media Collective.
- Gupta's work uses chrome steel utensils that reference dowry practices in rural India.
- Gowda's materials include cow dung and tar barrels, reflecting ecological and feminist themes.
- Ananth cites Walter Benjamin's essay 'The Task of the Translator' to argue for cultural translation in art.
- M.F. Husain was forced into exile after Hindu extremists objected to his paintings of Hindu deities.
- Student Chandramohan was arrested at M.S. University of Baroda for alleged obscenity in his master's portfolio.
- Two 2007 exhibitions in Paris are listed: 'India, art contemporain indien' at Galerie Hélène Lamarque and Rina Banerjee at Galerie Nathalie Obadia.
Entities
Artists
- Deepak Ananth
- Subodh Gupta
- Sheela Gowda
- N.S. Harsha
- Sharmila Samant
- Raqs Media Collective
- Sheba Chhachhi
- Anita Dube
- Bharti Kher
- Krishnaraj Chonat
- Hema Upadhyay
- Atul Dodiya
- Pushpamala N.
- Jitish Kallat
- M.F. Husain
- Chandramohan
- Amrita Sher-Gil
- Chris Ofili
- Jeff Koons
- Satyajit Ray
- Ritwik Ghatak
- Guru Dutt
- Henri-Claude Cousseau
- Jany Lauga
- Fredric Jameson
- Rosalind Krauss
- Nicolas Bourriaud
- Walter Benjamin
- Chris Dercon
Institutions
- artpress
- École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris
- M.S. University of Baroda
- Haus der Kunst Munich
- Tate Modern
- Documenta
- Biennale de Venise
- Galerie Hélène Lamarque
- Galerie Nathalie Obadia
Locations
- India
- Paris
- France
- Lille
- Bombay
- Mumbai
- Bihar
- Gujarat
- Baroda
- London
- New York
- Munich
- Germany
- Venice
- Italy
Sources
- artpress —