It was the second day of this group art exhibition when I reached the gallery in the afternoon. A conversation session was in progress. The discussion was being conducted by Johny ML with senior artist Vrindavan Solanki and the exhibition’s organizer, Kalicharan Padhi. Vrindavan Solanki was sharing the experiences of his long artistic journey. I came to know that such interactive sessions had been taking place throughout the exhibition — meaning that several other artists had already been part of similar conversations. Even better, these sessions were being recorded.
In recent times, such art dialogues have started becoming an integral part of art exhibitions in Delhi. Earlier, poetry recitations were also often held alongside exhibitions. According to senior art critic Prayag Shukla, the practice of organizing poetry readings during art exhibitions was initiated by J. Swaminathan himself.
The title of this group exhibition was “Melange of Memories” — which in Hindi means “Smritiyon ka Sangam” or one might even call it “Yadon ka Mela.” From the title itself, it was clear that this was an exhibition where memories of different times, places, and experiences merged together to create an emotional and creative fusion. Naturally, the works of these artists from diverse backgrounds together transformed layers of personal and collective memories into a visual dialogue — where each painting, color, and form seemed to revive a memory of a particular experience, time, or person.
The curator of the exhibition, Johny ML, is a senior art critic and art historian, while the organizer and presenter, Kalicharan Padhi, is a graduate of an art college and runs his own advertising agency under the name “Canonfire.” His statement about the exhibition is worth noting:
“Over the years, we see ourselves not merely as advertisers but as custodians of culture and champions of creative expression. This belief has encouraged us to go beyond conventional boundaries and engage in projects that bring art and communication together. Mélange of Memories is born from this belief. This exhibition brings together 30 eminent National Master Artists from across India and beyond, presenting over 90 remarkable artworks. Each creation in this collection is a world in itself, rich with stories, emotions, and reflections that connect the personal with the collective.”
Meanwhile, curator Johny ML shared his thoughts about the exhibition in these words:
“Stringing thirty artists with different approaches becomes an interesting curatorial process, for one sees them as producers of contemporary visual culture. None of them stick to one particular kind of visual style.”
Coincidentally, I was among those who arrived just before the inauguration on the first day. My first thought was about the challenges of curating such a large exhibition featuring thirty artists — especially when most of them were based outside Delhi. The curiosity was soon answered when I learned that Johny ML had to communicate with all the artists several times through WhatsApp video calls. For those artists he was meeting for the first time, multiple sessions of discussions were held.
The most positive aspect of this large group exhibition, in my opinion, was that several of the artists were meeting each other for the first time, yet there was a remarkable sense of harmony and coordination among them. I believe this should be the true success of any group exhibition — that contemporary artists do not only know each other through their works but also share a sense of friendship and mutual understanding. Such exhibitions play a vital role in fostering this artistic camaraderie.
The list of thirty participating artists included: Aalap Shah, Anand Panchal, Asit Kumar Patnaik, Bipin Bihari Martha, Dileep Sharma, Ganapati Hegde, Gurmeet Marwah, Gurudas Shenoy, Jyoti Kushwaha, Kannu Behera, Kumar Vikas Saxena, Laxman Aelay, M. Narayan, Manish Chavda, Nagesh Goud, Nishant Dange, Promud Boruah, Rahul Mitra, Rajesh Singh, Ramesh Gorjala, Rohit Supakar, Sachin Jaltare, Sanghapal Uttam Mhaske, Santhana Krishnan, Shabana Quadri, Subhendu Mishra, Sujata Achrekar, Supriya Amber, Vrindavan Solanki, and Yusuf.
Evidently, most of these names are well known to the contemporary Indian art world. However, seeing their works together in one place must have been a truly delightful and enriching experience for the art lovers of the capital. May such opportunities continue to arise again and again — with heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all involved.
-Suman Kumar Singh
Note: All the photographs of the gallery have been taken by the young artist/photographer Prem Chander. Prem is a Fine Arts graduate from the College of Art. With thanks and gratitude.