A century on, artistic homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s principles

Chemould Art Gallery at Fort will commemorate the centenary of Gandhi’s seminal book Hind Swaraj through an exhibition of images in various media, including photographs, posters, a short video film and documentary, by five Indian artistes.

Chemould Art Gallery at Fort will commemorate the centenary of Gandhi’s seminal book Hind Swaraj through an exhibition of images in various media, including photographs, posters, a short video film and documentary, by five Indian artistes.

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Curated by Mumbai-based poet and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, the exhibition ‘Detour’ will allow the public to look critically at the ways in which India has developed a hundred years since Gandhi introduced the concepts of self-rule, non-violence and satyagraha to the world.

This weekend, it will run parallel to a three-day international conference about Hind Swaraj, organised by city-based research group PUKAR. The exhibition features some works by Dayanita Singh, Ram Rahman, Ravi Agarwal, Samar Jodha and Sonia Jabbar — all artistes and political activists from various fields.

“Such an exhibition is a good way of reminding a self-involved Mumbai of the politics and history of India from which it emerges,” said Hoskote.

Among the works on display is the ‘Scene of Crime’ series by photographer and environmental activist Ravi Agarwal, portraying the effect of ecological degradation on the self.

Through images of the buildings designed by his father and architect Habib Rahman, Ram Rahman’s digital collages show how Nehru’s India tried to shake off the influences of colonial architecture.

‘Detour’ will be on display at Chemould Prescott Road, Fort, from December 18 to January 9, 2010, from 11 am to 7 pm.