When 28 of Mumbai’s art galleries come together, the result is bound to be spectacular. This year’s edition of Mumbai Gallery Weekend kicked off on January 16 and will run through the weekend. On display are works by more than 50 artists, which is a treat in itself. Beyond that, there are various walkthroughs, film screenings, panel discussions, talks and more, lined up. Here’s what to watch out for at the Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2019:
January 19, Saturday
Shadows of Water, Steps of Light at Art Musings will feature works by artists from various creative fields: architect and photographer YD Pitkar, painter and installation-maker Smriti Dixit, and poet and essayist Ranjit Hoskote. At the centre of their three-way dialogue are two historical, architectural marvels of India – the stunning Sun Temple in Modhera, and the lesser-known Rani-Ki-Wav or Queen’s stepwell in Patan, both in Gujarat. Hoskote will also be doing a walkthrough.
An artwork from Shadows of Water, Steps of Light
Also catch Seven Minutes of Blackmail by celebrated artist Atul Dodiya at Chemould Prescott Road, and Hoskote’s solo show, No Place like the Present at Akara Art.
An artwork from Seven Minutes of Blackmail
Apart from this, don’t miss the screening of Gerhard Richter Painting (at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan), a documentary on the life of the German artist who’s considered one of the most important contemporary painters. A talk by feminist artist Rekha Rodwittiya at DAG will delve into Rekha’s experience in the US and how it influenced her work.
January 20, Sunday
One of contemporary India’s most radical artist, Navjot Altaf gets a retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art. The Earth’s Heart, Torn Out—Navjot Altaf: A Life in Art is curated by cultural theorist Nancy Adajania, who will also be conducting a walkthrough. Over the course of her four decade career, Altaf’s oeuvre has included painting, sculptures, installation and mixed media art. The artist, who divides her time between Mumbai and Bastar, is best known for her collaboration with the traditional craftspeople of Bastar, which will be on display this weekend.
A unique conference at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Connecting Threads: Textiles in Contemporary Practices, will give you food for thought. The event will see artists and curators discuss the history of textiles, its use as a cultural object in contemporary art, and the way textiles define culture. Nilima Sheikh, Manisha Parekh, Anju Dodiya, Anita Dube and Reena Saini Kallat are among the participants.
A walkthrough at Studio 118 is your chance to understand the studio practices of artists who have been part of its residency programme – Ariane Keller, Benjamin Buhl, Shilpa Nayudu, Ellinor Euler and Pooja Bansal.
Featured photograph: An artwork from No Place Like the Present; all photographs: courtesy Mumbai Gallery Weekend
