Poetics of Plurality [Baroda]

Aranya Bhowmik

In contemporary times, art practice is no more bound by normative concepts, rather it has widened, emphasising on interdisciplinary practices. Experimentations in different media, medium and discipline have brought about a huge change in the mind-set of practitioners and viewers. A show titled ‘Poetics of Plurality’ held at Site art space in Baroda, (19th February to 12th March 2016) curated by Ushmita Sahu, an artist curator and an alumnus of Kala Bhavana, played with the idea of plurality through this show. Her key idea is related with the pedagogic practice of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. This premier art institute has been instrumental in developing a pedagogy with a holistic view towards the world, where it has been responsive to the time and eschewed the tendency of being stagnant within certain pedagogic framework. The curator addresses this idea of plurality existing in the pedagogic system in Santiniketan, and takes it to a different level where she looks into artists who have been alumni of the institute at different points of time. The selection of artists ranges from some of the prominent names in contemporary art scenario to young emerging artists.