Agradoot: Agents of Change

Published by

Mohd Shehwaaz Khan

October 4, 2023 12:32 pm

In ‘Agradoot’, exhibition at Art Alive Gallery, works by 11 contemporary artists, who have been active agents of change in the field of arts, are on display. The artists in the show are intergenerational, working in different mediums, expressing their concerns, and using their art as ‘Agradoot’ itself.

The group show presents works by 11 contemporary artists Madhvi Parekh, Shobha Broota, Jayashree Chakravarty, Arpana Caur, Jayasri Burman, Tara Sabharwal, Pranati Panda, Kanchan Chander, Sharmi Chowdhury, Radhika Surana and Ayesha Seth Sen.

“Women have always held the home and heart together. In pastoral societies, however, with patriarchy becoming stronger, women were relegated to the kitchen and therefore took the back seat. Except in indigenous societies where women walk shoulder to shoulder with the men in the community. Inclusion is part of a civil society. Women today are finding their voice in every aspect of life and living. As we move into a world where the boundaries of gender are becoming more amorphous and accepting of the power of the feminine, women are like Agradoots who are at the forefront of almost every aspect of life. Be it science, art, or business, women are at the top of the pyramid. No longer shrinking violets, as ‘stri’, they are the greatest agents of change. They are undoubtedly innovators and powerful catalysts bringing in positive results in the most difficult of experiments. Another significant marker of female identity and an area where women are creating transformative change is in the area of ecology and climate change,” said Dr Alka Pande, the curator of the show.

The exhibition is an attempt to explore and interrogate the cathartic and metamorphic role women play in all vital areas of art, culture, and society. Image and text have gone hand in hand for many visual artists. Often it is theory that drives the art, and often intuitive art gives way to the underpinnings of a theoretical discourse. The artists handpicked for the exhibition combine the interplay of self-taught and structured art education, experimentation with materials, and a play of ideas.

The diversity of their visual language makes their societal concerns related to identity, sexual politics, gender, empowerment, skill sets, and knowledge systems visible.

When: 11am – 7pm; Till October 23

Where: Art Alive Gallery, S-221, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110017

Mohd Shehwaaz Khan

Mohd Shehwaaz Khan is a journalist based in New Delhi. He won Laadli Media Award 2023 for best feature in print