The art of curating

The five-week long celebration of art and design exhibitions, summits, fairs, festivals and awards has finally taken a much-needed hiatus. In addition to an array of talented artists and designers, what every successful event shares is a dedicated curator. The curator, traditionally, was the keeper of the museum but with the evolution of art and the institution of the museum itself, this role has become as interdisciplinary as artistic practices. From selecting, organising, overseeing to installing, the curator works much like the director of a film. You could have a room full of an amazing selection of art, or set full of skilled actors, but without the right direction, it could all very well end up being one big mess.

This week, I spoke to curator Girish Shahane. He wears many hats, occasionally going from art critic to lecturer, curator, writer and blogger. The former director of the Skoda Art Prize, and the to-be artistic director of the 7th edition of the India Art Fair, spoke to me about the highs and lows of his experience as curator of Art Chennai.

Currently in its third edition, Art Chennai took place earlier this month. The nine-day long festival showcased a range of artists including Reena Kallat and Benitha Perciyal. The festival took place in venues across the city, the most popular of which was at Elliot beach, where Girish Shahane showed a series of monochrome photographs from the 1880s juxtaposed with those of Desikan Krishnan.

Opening simultaneously was a collaborative art initiative between Phoenix Mills and Sharyans resources. The Phoenix Market City shopping mall, which opened in Chennai in January was converted into an art lovers’ paradise. Vijay and Sunitha Choraria lead the initiative, bringing together a few international art experts and a long list of stunning works by contemporary artists like Ravinder Reddy, Gigi Scaria, LN Tallur, Thukral & Tagra and many more. The 1.1 million square foot mall is full of installations, sculptures and video art projects. Most works have been sourced on loan from galleries like Project 88, Chemould and Nature Morte. It’s great to see art patrons and galleries focus beyond the conventional private collections. This year is really shaping up to be the year of Artesign philanthropy!

But now back to Girish…

Tell us about your experience curating Art Chennai?
It was intense and rewarding. Mounting exhibitions in three different venues in two days on two separate occasions, with only a couple of days in between, was challenging to put it mildly. Working with Sanjay Tulsyan was wonderful. He stays perfectly calm through any crisis and has a genuine love for art.

What brief did you set yourself while working on Art Chennai?
Aside from appealing to different audiences, I wanted a good mix of local, national and international art.

How did you feel about the reaction, both from the art world and the general audience?
Relatively few people from the art world travelled to Chennai compared to Delhi and Dhaka. Obviously we didn’t get the message out early enough and strongly enough. However, the reaction and coverage within Chennai was fabulous.

What were some of the hurdles you faced?
The usual logistic hurdles one faces anywhere in India. The venue of one public show was shifted from Marina Beach to Elliot’s beach one day before the show’s opening.

Tell us about a work that exceeded your expectations once installed and another that was a little bit of a disappointment.
I’ll pass on this one for diplomatic reasons! There were two projects that fell through, which was greatly disappointing.

The news is that you’ll be curating the next India Art Fair, what are some of the changes you want to bring?
The IAF has not had an artistic director previously. I aim to improve the quality of special projects and better integrate the Speakers’ Forum with the fair.

What is your opinion on online art fairs?
I’m old fashioned in believing art should be experienced in flesh. Online art fairs might become a viable financial proposition but I can’t see them becoming interesting aesthetic experiences till 3D technology improves greatly.

Atul Dodiya’s new book is out
Yesterday Vadehra Art Gallery launched the much awaited monograph on Atul Dodiya’s work. The book provides an overview of Atul’s career, looking at the evolution of his complex and vibrant works. The monograph also brings together essays by leading critics, theorists and curators like Ranjit Hoskote, Thomas McEvilley and Nancy Adajani.