IFA@Kochi: Shifting Narratives - an exhibition at the Kerala Museum | December 11, 2016 - February 26, 2017

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA)
in collaboration with
Kerala Museum
presents
Shifting Narratives
(An exhibition of works from the Madhavan Nayar Foundation Collection)
curated by
Supriya Menon
On view from: December 11, 2016 to February 26, 2017
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Kerala Museum, Pathadipalam, Edappally, Kochi - 682 024
Contact: 0484 2541 768 / +91 81290 51880

Join us on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at the opening of the exhibition Shifting Narratives (An Exhibition of Works from the Madhavan Nayar Foundation Collection) by curator and researcher Supriya Menon.

The works in this exhibition highlight the diverse ways in which modern and contemporary artists have depicted the human figure to narrate stories about the India of their times.

The human figure has remained central to Indian art for millennia. The 19th century saw the rise of British colonial power; it also saw the decline of traditional Indian patronage to artists and exposure to European art, which set off decisive shifts in Indian art. These were manifested in the portrayal of the human form, which soon became a site for exploring ideas of identity, nationalism and modernity. In the decades that followed, the human figure was variously transformed from full-bodied realistic forms to emaciated spectral figures, heroic ideals to desired objects. Through these shifting forms, the artists of each generation responded to their socio-political realities, as well as to the artistic values of those who preceded them. This exhibition draws attention to some of the major concerns of each generation of artists and the changing representations of the figure in their art in a chronological display.

The Kerala Museum houses the Madhavan Nayar Foundation Collection. The collection is the result of its founder Madhavan Nayar’s desire to introduce works of the finest modern and contemporary Indian artists to audiences in Kerala.

Supriya is a Mumbai based curator and researcher. She has worked in public engagement and research roles at various museums in England , including the Wellcome Collection, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, and Victoria & Albert Museum. She has worked on a range of cultural projects in India since 2014, including those at the Bihar Museum, the Dharavi Biennale and Medicine Corner- a British arts project exploring medicine and healing in India.

Supriya Menon received a Fellowship under the Archival and Museum Fellowship initiative, from India Foundation for the Arts, supported by the Tata Trusts.