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Video Project by Sudarshan Shetty: Waiting for Others to Arrive
His artwork, like him, has travelled the globe and back.
From the Kochi Muziris Biennale and the Pompidou Centre in Paris to the Guggenheim Museum in New York artist Sudarshan Shetty’s exhibitions continue to awe spectators. He’s even produced a special project for Louis Vuitton in Milan and staged a presentation at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
And now, after almost a decade, Sudarshan Shetty will be showcasing his work in New Delhi at a new art space, GALLERYSKE, which will be its first solo show titled Every Broken Moment, Piece by Piece.
We caught up with Shetty for a quick Q&A on his recent work, his international stints, his inspiration and more…
Tell us a bit about your art that is being exhibited at the gallery.
The objects and the video in the show oscillate between the ‘domestic’ and the ‘heroic’ as an aesthetic strategy. It is an attempt at examining these liminal boundaries and at questioning the very idea of arriving at pointed conclusions that are represented through a world of objects.
What’s your inspiration?
The idea of ‘mortality’ – the rituals that surround it and how it plays a part in our lives is something that I have been thinking about a lot in the last few years [in regard to] my work.
How long did it take to put together this exhibition?
It took about a year to conceive and to construct the show.
Broken ceramic vases and recycled wood by Sudarshan Shetty
Share what went into a particular artwork that one can see at the gallery.
I have, like I always do, carefully tried to construct an ambiguous narrative moving through the space of the gallery. Each of the pieces, as it were, is an important link to the other pieces in the show. It’s hard to point at one work. However, there is a 10-minute long video piece called ‘Waiting for others to arrive’ that you confront as soon as you enter the gallery, that in many ways establishes the theme for the show. Although I have made a few video pieces in the past, this is the first time I am attempting a convention of a cinematic construction, through montage and other available devices.
The last time you exhibited in Delhi was in 2003. It’s been over a decade now and you’re back. Why the gap?
Since 2005, I have been working with three international galleries in addition to GALLERYSKE, then based only in Bangalore. I also specially made some pieces for larger shows at other international venues. I hope to now show more often in Delhi with GALLERYKE opening up its new space there.
What do you think is the response to your artworks that you exhibit internationally?
Very good, so far. It has always been a learning experience. Over the years, I have learnt to see my work through a more complex perspective than before. A few good collectors, and the people I have been able to establish meaningful relationships with, have been of great support.
Your personal favourite painting?
There are many, so it’s not fair to just name one. Having said that, the first thing that comes to my mind is the work from the phenomenal show of Indian miniature paintings that I saw at the Rietberg Museum in Zurich two years ago.
Your favourite city to create your art in and why?
Mumbai, for all its unique contradictions.
How do you unwind?
With my daughter, Devi, who is 9-months-old now.
What’s next?
Amongst other things, I am working on a longer video piece. It will take a few months before we get to the shooting stage; then there’s a solo show in Brussels in January 2015 and an art book with text, which I am working on now and I hope to publish later this year.
Sudarshan Shetty’s exhibition titled Every Broken Moment, Piece by Piece will be on display from January 13 to February 28, 2014 at GALLERYSKE, 1st Floor Shivam House, F ¬ 14, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001
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