Dhoomimal Gallery in Connaught Circus has opened a new exhibition in its renovated space. Titled Outliers, Rebels, Disruptors: Delhi Silpi Chakra, 70 Years On, the exhibition includes works of artists associated with the Silpi Chakra such as Amarnath Sehgal, BC Sanyal, J Swaminathan, KS Kulkarni, Ram Kumar, Rameshwar Broota, Sailoz Mookherjea, Satish Gujral among others.
The exhibition, conceptualised by FAQ Art and curated by Eka Archiving, attempts to take the viewer on a nostalgic view. The Silpi Chakra Gallery founded in 1949, which later became the Dhoomimal Gallery, brought a range of modernists to the Capital.
Their slogan was 'Art Illuminates Life', and was focussed on bringing art in the everyday lives of people while building a space for ideas in independent India.
According to PN Mago, Co-founder of Delhi Silpi Chakra, "The Chakra also sought to create an agency through which the sale of works by its members could be organised on a commercial basis. Thus, the Silpi Chakra Art Gallery, the first of its kind in India, was inaugurated on October 07, 1949 on the mezzanine floor of Dhoomimal Dharamdas in Connaught Place, with the assistance of its proprietor, the late Ram Babu."
Additionally, as the foundation of this institution was laid by artists whose lives were ripped apart by the Partition, the Chakra was a haven for free thinkers in New Delhi during the 40s. In the ongoing show, viewers will come across artists who actively engaged with the Silpi Chakra as members, founders, office bearers, and associates, over the years.
When Delhi Silpi Chakra was founded by BC Sanyal, Kanwal Krishna, KS Kulkarni and Dhan Raj Bhagat, their idea was to create a certain space for art and artists in the capital city. The idea was to take art to masses.
According to Uday Jain, Director, Dhoomimal Gallery, "Delhi Silpi Chakra is one of the most important movements of Modern Indian Art. Especially in making Delhi a centre for contemporary art. The movement initially gained momentum in Calcutta and then Bombay, but other parts saw minimal exchange."
"This group of artists, mostly academicians, got together and gave the art scene a structured approach. It can almost be said as the movement that led to the birth of art galleries in India. Their motto was that art and culture belonged to all, and not only the fortunate few, thus bringing creative and visual art closer to the common people," Jain added.
TILL: July 31
AT: G-42, Connaught Circus, New Delhi