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“Art has moved beyond identity politics at art fairs,” says Mamta Singhania, founder of Delhi’s Anant Gallery. As one of the leading galleries promoting contemporary South Asian art practices, Anant is making its debut at Art Basel Hong Kong in the Insights sector and will be presenting a significant collection of artworks that explore the concept of duality within unity, blending traditional techniques with contemporary narratives by neo-miniaturist Aisha Khalid from Pakistan. “Earlier, art was viewed through the lens of heritage, identity, and the diaspora. However, the themes of engagement have been shifting towards what is relevant today—materiality, environment, and socio-political issues that concern us all. South Asian art is receiving global attention, institutional support, and significant representation at museums and art fairs compared to a decade ago,” says Singhania.
The Behula series is, for instance, an Everywoman’s tale. [Rahman’s work is being introduced at Art Basel Hong Kong by Vadehra through this work.] “All men want a Behula, a woman who sacrifices, in their lives,” says the artist. Rahman’s work ‘Powerbox’, which went to another art fair, for instance, shows a remote village with a long monsoon disconnected from the world but dependent on news of the outside world through state-run television. It is open ended. “A silent or non-stop television; it’s the portrait of many nations today,” says the artist. Art that anybody can connect with from anywhere, that’s where the money lies. It also works for major museums, which, Rahman says, are now actively promoting “diversity, cultural exchanges, local arts and crafts”.
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