‘Kaee’ — an idiomatic word for algae — denotes an enlivening presence within an ecology. Not only does it fulfill a nourishing and filtering function, but its metabolisms and composition can also be further studied to determine the health of the ecosystem. Founded by Ambica Beri in 2022, Kaee Contemporary lodges itself within a perceived need for a dedicated contemporary art space that curates emerging and experimental practices and places them in an intergenerational dialogue with established practitioners. With a range of energizing residencies between Kolkata and Maihar illuminating its core , the programming at Kaee catalyzes an interplay of urban and rural perspectives. In doing so, Kaee hopes to bring two distinct social ecologies into a fruitful field of pollination. Its homely settings in Alipore complete with a café and relaxed outdoor spaces counters the alienating white-cube aesthetic with a sense of coziness, hospitality, and commensality. These unconventional settings are set to play host to a variety of formats — exhibitory, pedagogical, interactive — that foreground ingenuity, innovation, and interdisciplinary. Kaee Contemporary brings to you it’s exclusive exhibition, ‘‘When the other stares back’ – curated by Adwait Singh on 26th March, 2022 at our very own City of Joy.
The exhibition brings together the works of four female artists who hail from Kolkata. Their composite and layered works essay an inter-generational conversation about synthesized contaminants that impel us, governing our lifestyles. Each artist stages an encounter with non-human actants — plankton, animals, plants — that are caught up in a helpless becoming at the hand of man. Ranging from melancholic to monstrous, these become an update us against landscapes to come, transformed beyond recognition and grown allergic to our existence as a species. Speculative or documentary, the works are rooted within urban environments that the artists came to inhabit, exposing these seemingly civilized spaces as nested sites of multi-species cohabitation and conflict. Seduced into the inhospitable territory, the viewer is fixed and surveyed by a gaze that is utterly alien. It is a gaze that is as impenetrable as it is unforgiving; a gaze that asks for accountability and pronounces judgment. The artists of this renowned exhibition are Jayashree Chakravarty, Radhika Agarwala, Sonia Mehra Chawla and Suhasini Kejriwal.
Artist Portfolios
👉Jayashree Chakravarty – An alum from some of the best Art Institutions in India, first, at Visva Bharati in the sprawling natural environs of Santiniketan, and then at the Faculty of Fine Arts at MS University, Baroda, Jayashree developed an urban sensibility.She was also an artist in residence at Aix en Provence from 1993 – 1995 where she was influenced in the formative years of her practice by the French movement Supports/Surfaces, especially by Claude Viallat and also had conversations with some of the group members at the time. Inventing her own creative techniques, using organic material and varied kinds of papers, her installations in the form of paper scrolls remain unique in their conceptions and execution. Chakravarty’s slow, extemporaneous, and layered approach is epitomized in the backlit work Twigs to Creepers (2018) where the composite materiality of the work is exposed for anatomization.
👉Radhika Agarwala – Holding an MFA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, London (2011), MFA in Painting from School Of Fine Art, University Of Florida(2010), and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Painting from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2008) followed by BFA in Painting from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata (2007), Radhika is a force to reckon with the the art fraternity today. Some of her recent solo exhibits include ‘For Two Lovers’ (2013) and ‘Encounter’ (2012) at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London. Recent group exhibitions include Delhi Contemporary Art Week,by Latitude 28 (2021-2017); ‘All The Days and Nights’, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020), India Art Fair,at Latitude 28 (2019-2018), and ‘Babur Ki Gai’, Latitude 28, New Delhi (2018), ‘Participate’, Asian Arts Initiative, Mumbai (2014). She has also done artist residencies in AtelierhausSalzamt, Austria & Casa Dell’Arte, Turkey (2013).
👉Sonia Mehra Chawla – A multidisciplinary artist and researcher based in New Delhi, Sonia received her BFA (2001) and MFA (2004) in Fine Arts from Delhi University’s College of Art in New Delhi. Chawla’s work has been exhibited at CSMVS, Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai in collaboration with Goethe-Institute (2022); ZKM | Museum &Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe(2022), Radialsystem, Berlin (2021), Edinburgh Printmakers, in collaboration with Marine Scotland (2021), Edinburgh Science Festival (2021), Albertina Modern Museum, Vienna (2020), Institute für Auslandsbeziehungen, ifa-Galerie Stuttgart (2017).
👉Suhasini Kejriwal – Suhasini Kejriwal lives and works in Kolkata. Her achievements include a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Parsons School of Design in New York and a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Goldsmiths College, London. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at Gallery SKE, Bangalore (2004), Nature Morte, New Delhi (2005, 2007, 2014, 2020), Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai (2008), the Anokhi Museum, Jaipur (2009), Galerie Christian Hosp, Berlin (2010); she has also exhibited at numerous group exhibitions in galleries and institutions throughout the world.
Ambica Beri, Founder, Kaee Contemporary, says, “With Kaee Contemporary, we come full circle to where we began, to what may seem a complete reversal of the original form. However, much like the nature of the evolving ‘kaee’ which supports life on the planet, the new art space will generate an environment for art to evolve and continue to grow in synthesis.”
About Ambica & KAEE: On the path to facilitate and explore the arts, & having begun her journey with Gallery Sanskriti in 1990, Ambica has strived to embrace constant change and having enjoyed the serendipity of stumbling into new avenues. Art Ichol in Maihar, an interdisciplinary art residency , was born out of this phase. Thirty two years since the inception and ten years into the transition, an important lesson we’ve learnt is to stay connected with our friends and patrons. We have valued their support over the years, and are excited to have them walk into our doors again to interact with a contemporary and compelling space.
Kaee Contemporary, the new art gallery has been conceptualized and developed to target new audiences and interpret the art of our times. ‘Kaee’ — a colloquial word for algae — denotes a vitalizing presence within an ecology. It will question and adapt to the changing definitions of art and culture. It will encourage the urgency of contemporary expression and support multifaceted perspectives.
Kaee Contemporary will showcase emerging and established artists from India and abroad, and will focus on critical discourse, educational programs, site-specific installations, and collaborations.
Kaee Contemporary presents, ‘When the other stares back’ – curated by Adwait Singh
Grand Opening: 26th March, 5 PM onwards
Duration: 26th March to 30th April 2022
Address: 2-H Alipore Avenue , Kolkata 700027
Timings: 11.00 AM to 8.00 PM
Facebook Comments