Echoes of Ephemera: Party is Elsewhere

If a thing of beauty is a joy forever, as English poet John Keats would have us believe, then what is to be made of a show that highlights decrepitude? Is its job to remind us of the ephemeral nature of life and everything in it? That the value of the grotesque and the repulsive is in its mere existence, as it allows pretty perfection to stand out further? Or, alternatively, does the unpleasantness itself hold value as a much-needed contrast to whitewashed ideals? These are some of the questions that come to mind upon browsing through ‘Party is Elsewhere’, a multi-artist showcase which took place in February this year as an India Art Fair Parallel offering. 

Sharp Objects: The Last Rust by Archana Hande

Writing the Subjective/Reading the Collective

A Symbol of Rebuilding, Renewal and Reimagining: Chobi Mela Returns

The South Asian country of Bangladesh is in the throes of political change. In July 2024, commonly called the July Revolution, a student, Gen Z-led, pro-democracy mass movement resulted in ousting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Molten Histories, Living Futures: The Art of Glass in India

A Return to the Elements

A Bridge is built from Two Sides: Far Reaching Earth, Far Extending Sky, Spread like a Mat, Covered like a Bowl

In a conversation between Korram and Rahee Punyashloka, the curator of exhibition, the former remarks that guns, whether toys or weapons in the hands of guards, are part of daily life in Bastar. During elections, festivals and other such large gatherings, the presence of armed personnel is naturalised under the name of security. The effect is to position violence not at the periphery but at the centre of experience, where it becomes impossible to separate civic, ritual or recreational activities from the shadow of militarisation. In particular, these sculptures  highlight the speed of modern forms of violence and deforestation, such as automatic weapons, heavy machinery for logging and armed jeeps used by hunters.

From Screen to Society: Fashion, Film and the Humanitarian Heart of MASH Ball 2025

Fragile worlds

Ravikumar Kashi’s ‘Fragile Worlds’ at the Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru, evokes the permeability of form, memory, and meaning. Through delicate, net-like sculptures and poetic explorations of language, the exhibition invites viewers into a tactile, immersive meditation on fragility, interconnectedness, and the porous edges of self and society.

Revitalise Visual Arts in Chennai: Jaiveer Johal’s take on Avtar Foundation for the Arts

We have had a long history of patronage – from the royal princes and now merchant princes. This needs to be encouraged – the government can participate to make: import of artworks easier, and even make public spaces more accessible to private organisations who want to hold shows and events in such places. JNAF and CSMVS is a great example of how things can happen. Chennai Photo Biennale of which I am a patron is being allowed access to the Egmore Museum. If the ASI and the Ministry of Culture brings out a policy on how we can have better and more equitable access to these buildings and areas – it will help the entire art ecosystem.