The idea of home is often layered, juxtaposing itself with our identity, taking on myriad meanings over time. It flows through sounds, sights, textures and smells that bring about a momentary sense of belonging. Curated by artist and writer Veeranganakumari Solanki, “Internalising A City”, is a multi-medium group exhibition that features eight artists who have found home in Pune. The group exhibition is on till August 28 at the Vida Heydari Contemporary Art Gallery in Koregaon Park.
The exhibition features the works of artists such as Payal Arya, Aditi Kulkarni and Vaibhav Raj Shah. It seamlessly moves from the whirring of a brass comb on a basalt stone, to the quiet stillness of postcards and letters reeking of nostalgia.
Upon entering, one will find Rupali Patil’s four watercolour paintings. Made between 2020 and 2022, these greet the visitor with their abstract symbolism. A take on the city’s buzzing landscape, Patil paints to express the fears of an emerging space that, although devoid of human presence, feels complete. Making a home for oneself in this uninviting space is explored through these paintings.
Walking ahead, one can find six accordion books, with roof-like cutouts. Artist Snehal Goyal, through her drawings layered with gold foil, tells the story of finding home in inanimate objects and empty corners. They are narrated through the play of light and shadows that brings to life the otherwise still spaces. For many, as for the artist, it is the unchanging mundanity of homes that brings a sense of comfort. Experiencing the artwork is a curious exercise in peering through the pages displayed on the shelf, as light falls on them.
The desire to preserve something stems from a strong feeling of belonging associated with it. A stand-alone vitrine displaying city-based playwright and poet Ashutosh Potdar’s collection of letters, postcards, photographs and theatre archives builds on this thought. Titled, ‘The City is Not Afraid of Time’, it is an attempt to document the changing nature of the city, and an ode to its long-surviving theatre community.
Attachment and finding ground in transience are explored in the delicate sculptures and surrealist paintings by artist Prabhakar Panchpute. Two sculptures titled, ‘Holding’ and ‘Belonging’ bring out the sentiments attached to land, and echo the sorrow of it being snatched away. Adjusting to new environments in search of growth and a better life can be daunting. ‘Museum Menagaries’ is a series of paintings that tell the story of migration, and transforming oneself in the process.
Focussing on the relationship between food practices, caste, and belonging, artist Rajyashri Goody highlights Dalit food practices through selections from Dalit autobiographies. These selections are converted into 14 anthologies, where their food experiences are transformed into instructional recipes, and poetry. A set of ceramic bhaakars, created from the memory of ones she had grown up eating, complete the display. The poems along with the ceramic are a form of resistance and an assertion of Dalit history and culture.
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