FRAGMENTS OF THE FUTURE: TRANSITIONS IN CONTEMPORARY ART- I

The contemporary art world finds its grounding in the space of the personal and this is what gives it the proclivity of surprise — redefining and realigning a world where art, design, and culture converge. In an effort to provide a platform for such transitions and celebrate the spirit of innovation, Shalini Passi, the renowned art collector curated Fragments of the Future presented by MASH India from January 10th to 12th, 2025, at Reliance Jio Garden, BKC, Mumbai, as part of Ajio Luxe Weekend 2025.

This exhibition is a conversation starter on the extraordinary power of the contemporary art scene in post-modern India. Through their innovative mediums and techniques, these pieces transcend traditional boundaries, offering profound reflections. The artists challenge established norms and invite viewers to question preconceived notions of space, culture, and artistic representation.

Some of the artists who showcased their work in the exhibition were:

Ravinder Reddy

Ravinder Reddy has left an indelible mark on the global sculpting scene. Reddy’s art reimagines the vernacular and traditional, transforming them with contemporary sensibilities and his distinctive personal touch. Although he is based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, his sculptures are celebrated as large-scale public commissions in cities like Thailand and Japan, becoming symbols of civic pride.

In the Fragments of the Future exhibition, one of Reddy’s iconic works, Krishnaveni-V (2016–17), testifies to his mastery. Crafted from copper-gilded and painted polyester resin fibreglass, the sculpture is majestic and timeless. The gleaming copper-hued head symbolises a flowing river and a woman’s elegant form, characterised by bold figuration, sharp facial contours, and an intricately braided hairstyle; challenges notions of idealised beauty, celebrating instead the sensorial and the vernacular. Krishnaveni embodies both a dark-skinned heroine and a divine goddess, immortalised through his vision of monumental artistry.

Jagannath Panda

Jagannath Panda from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is one of India’s leading contemporary artists. He is acclaimed for his thought-provoking sculptures and visual art. The work reflects his Indian and global artistic journey. Based in New Delhi, he is a recipient of awards like the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship and the Centre Prize, C.I.I.C London.

Panda’s art delves into the act of perception, exploring the interplay between vision, ecology, and culture. His works often blend myth, geometry, and ecology, utilising symbols like eye-testing dials to question how we perceive and reflect upon the world. His recent works, like Echoes of The Gaze-II (2024) and The Structures of Metamorphoses (2023), redefine the boundaries of artistic perception. He examines humanity’s relationship with nature, inspired by Hindu philosophical concepts of prakriti (consciousness) and vikriti (change), emphasising the contradictions in modern understandings of the natural and constructed worlds. Through tactile and visually intricate creations, Panda invites viewers to explore hidden layers of existence and confront deeper truths about reality.

Vibha Galhotra

Vibha Galhotra is known for her thought-provoking works that bridge ecological concerns and cultural narratives. A graduate of Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and based in New Delhi, her artistry has earned prestigious accolades, including the Jerusalem International Fellowship (2022), Asia Arts Game Changer Award (2019), and Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency (2016).

With works like Breath-1 and Lone Women Don’t Lie, Galhotra explores the intersection of humanity, nature, and responsibility. Her iconic exhibit, Chronotope (2022) is a visual archive of a critical planetary moment. Crafted from ghungroos (bells) arranged on board and metal, the artwork interprets NOAA data graphs depicting rising sea surface temperatures. Each ghungroo becomes a pixel, symbolising the slow yet inevitable progression of environmental degradation. Drawing from mythological tales and global doomsday prophecies, Galhotra critiques modern society’s reliance on science at the expense of intuitive harmony with nature.

Sonia Khurana

Sonia Khurana has a diverse portfolio to her name expanding across photography, video, performance, installation, text, and drawing. Her art delves into themes of alienation, displacement, strangeness, and embodiment, challenging societal power dynamics through the interplay of body and language. Having exhibited worldwide, Khurana gained prominence with her solo exhibition Lone Women Don’t Lie (2000) and the video Bird (1999), establishing herself as a pioneering feminist voice and a trailblazer in digital media within Indian contemporary art.

Khurana’s works embody an evocative exploration of self, identity, and the temporal nuances of human experience. In Lone Women Don’t Lie (1998/99), Khurana used a fragmented self-performance to examine the interplay between synchronicity and disjunction, presenting time and the split self as central motifs. Against a stark white backdrop, her head and shoulders engage in playful yet exaggerated gestures — nuzzling, sniffing, and pecking — culminating in a fleshy kiss. Another video exhibit titled, Breath-1 captured the gentle rhythm of breathing through the rising and falling torso, emphasising the body’s subtle, repetitive movements. Flattened on a digital screen, the steady undulation invites introspection, revealing the mystery of existence through a bodily lens.

Ranbir Kaleka

Ranbir Kaleka is a pioneering multi-media artist from Patiala, Punjab whose works include painting, experimental film, and immersive video installations. Kaleka began his artistic journey as a painter; over time, his practice evolved to integrate two-dimensional canvases with dynamic, narrative-driven film sequences, creating a unique blend of visual and experiential art.

In the recent addition to his portfolio, Kaleka creates a visual allegory that critiques humanity’s impact on natural order. In Guardians in a Dystopic Garden – 2 (2023), Kaleka crafts a layered dreamscape set in a library — a repository of human knowledge. This digital collage explores humanity’s conflicting roles as creators, preservers, and destroyers, juxtaposed against nature’s unyielding influence. The composition features animals in harmony with unseen rhythms, disrupted by symbols of human intrusion: an assault rifle, an army helmet, and bullets. Another remarkable work, Man with Quilt delves into themes of displacement and forced migration, caused by politics, conflict, or natural disasters. The work portrays a man clutching a quilt shaped like a human body — a poignant symbol of solace and survival amid upheaval. Kaleka emphasises humanity’s fragility and the pressing need to safeguard not just physical spaces but the human spirit itself.