Vadehra art gallery presents Call Me By Your Name, an exhibition that celebrates the complexities of contemporary relationships, while exploring the linguistics, imagery and signification of love through expanded notions of coupledom

Conceptualized by art collector Udit Bhambri, Vadehra Art Gallery presents a group exhibition titled ‘Call Me By Your Name’, featuring artists Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Arpita Singh, Shilpa Gupta, Sunil Gupta, Gieve Patel, N.S. Harsha and Sudhir Patwardhan.

‘Call Me By Your Name’ asks the question – who completes us? While some shout out togetherness more demonstratively, others whisper in hushed tones – but what is the need to title it, engrave it or qualify it? In spite of our transiency and love’s transfigurations, coupled with a kindred hope to celebrate its imperishability, why do some relationships struggle more with naming and why are so many kinds of relationships still unnamed?

“The puzzles of love involve two master components: the self and the other, which are a kind of couple. It’s in our nature to acknowledge ourselves in or with some kind of other-hood, so much so that companionship, even when experienced alone, becomes a kind of love. The truth of our times is that any collective identity of ‘we’ is laden with individualities and so in contemporary relationships, we often find we’re living both  selfishly and selflessly, acting resilient through constant compromise while balancing  self-indulgence with self-sacrifice,” reads the curatorial note.

Curated by Bhambri, this exhibition is an ode to the complex make-up of contemporary relationships while exploring the linguistics, imagery and signification of love through expanded notions of coupledom.

“We live in unprecedented times – where social distancing is often more comforting than a hug. Relationships have been redefined by the pandemic, and today more than ever, we witness the true power of self-love, the genuine comfort of companionship, the thrill of reconnecting with an ex-lover and the satisfaction of reigniting our own latent passion. Call
me by your name is an exploration of love in its many forms. It questions the status quo, and it attempts to erase labels. It accepts love in its multiple facets and in doing so attempts to infuse positivity in a time when a relationship of one kind or another, is our only panacea,” says Bhambri.

Mumbai based art collector Bhambri has been involved with the arts from an early age – scouring galleries, making friends with artists, and even picking works for friends and family. For him, the value of art centres around studio visits with Prabhakar Barwe, food tours with M.F. Husain, and Biennale hopping with fellow artist friends.

The exhibition is on display at Vadehra Art Gallery from July 21 to August 13