Paresh Maity
By Shubhangi Jindal
For the landmark 60th edition, La Biennale di Venezia, aka the Venice Art Biennale, explores the theme of ‘foreignness’ through various approaches, fostering dialogue and exchange. Titled Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere, it is curated by Adriano Pedrosa, the first South American, openly queer curator in the history of the Biennale Arte. “Wherever you go and wherever you are, you will always encounter foreigners—they, we, are everywhere,” Pedrosa explains. “No matter where you find yourself, you are always truly, and deep down inside, a foreigner.” His show, spread across the Giardini and Arsenale venues, highlights art from historically marginalised communities, with a strong representation of the Global South.
The curator’s presentation, Historical Nucleus, located in Giardini della Biennale houses the artworks of India’s master modernists—pioneering abstractionists Ram Kumar and SH Raza, the iconoclastic Bombay progressive FN Souza, surrealist Bhupen Khakhar, primitivist modernist Jamini Roy, prolific painters Amrita Sher-Gil and B Prabha. The contemporary section spotlights the work of the Bengaluru-based, women-led art collective, Aravani Art Project, which features a mural composed of cis and transgender women embodying the idea of inclusivity, acceptance, and identity. The Biennale represents a culmination of decades of artistic excellence with the ability to blend traditional techniques with modern sensibilities, seamlessly.
Although India once again lacks a pavilion at the La Biennale di Venezia, the international exhibition includes 12 Indian artists—a record, and quadruple the amount that showed at the previous Biennale. Over the years, Indian representation at the Venice Biennale has been multifarious, marked by a diverse array of talent. From prolific artists such as Paresh Maity and Sonal Ambani to legacy creators like Manu and Madhvi Parekh, and renowned patrons like Kiran Nadar—Indian artists have left an indelible mark on the Biennale’s storied history.
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The Rooted Nomad: M.F. Husain
Curated by KNMA director and chief curator Roobina Karode, the part-exhibition and part-immersive experience titled, The Rooted Nomad, reaffirms MF Husain’s enduring impact on the art scene. “The exhibition blends intimate viewing and kaleidoscopic relay, highlighting Husain’s artistic journey, prolific works, and interdisciplinary approach to art. The immersive component, creatively crafted by Visioni Eccentriche, draws on nearly 160 works from the KNMA collection, seamlessly integrating motion graphics, live action, choreography, and sound design,” shares Karode. The chosen title juxtaposes contrasting ideas to reflect Husain’s complex artistic persona and captures his contribution to modern art, drawing from mythologies, art traditions, and literature. “This aligns with the Venice Biennale’s theme that explores diaspora, migration, displacement, and exile, paying tribute to the pioneering artist’s legacy and India’s cultural richness as a rooted nomad in the world of art.”
Genesis by Paresh Maity
Another section of the main exhibition, Nucleo Storico, features creative speculations on modernism. India’s prolific painter Paresh Maity’s bronze sculpture, Genesis, presented by Delhi-based Art Alive Gallery at the Marinaressa Gardens is also part of Personal Structures—a biennial contemporary art exhibition organised by the European Cultural Centre. “I envisioned Genesis as the origin of the universe, the inception of the world, and its evolution, with the main conceptual framework rooted in the idea of a united world with societal balance at its core. I created the geometric form to visualise the different energies that constitute the world, and then introduced the pendulum—a metaphor for universal balance stemming from the perception of unity and harmony,” shares Maity.
With Genesis, Paresh Maity aims to explore the concepts of life and balance in an ever-evolving world, proposing that different energies come together in harmony, where all boundaries and limitations diminish, allowing the world to become a united space for growth. Maity adds, “This year’s Biennale theme explores the multiplicity of identities and beliefs. With globalisation at its peak, people are migrating more, resulting in displaced identities and potential disparities in societal balance. Genesis, conceptualised and rooted in the idea of balance, captures that very essence through the metaphor of the pendulum.”
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