Exhibition | An Alternative Contemporary curated by Waswo X Waswo
06 Dec 2024 to 28 Feb 2025Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts presents An Alternative Contemporary, a celebration of the tradition and evolution of miniature painting. This exhibition creates a dialogue between past and present, spotlighting a new generation of miniaturists and the artists they inspire. It highlights the growing influence of miniature painting on contemporary artists.
Today, we are witnessing a revival of this art form, as contemporary artists and traditional miniaturists draw from, reference, and merge with each other to form a powerful new expression: an alternative contemporary.
This exhibition brings together 25 artists from India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond. It presents the miniature, bound with its past, passing skills across generations and radically reinventing the territory of miniature to include photography, video, performance and installation.
Curated by Waswo X. Waswo, a mentor and guiding light for this evolving legacy, An Alternative Contemporary explores the landscape of miniature painting in the region. It testifies to a wave of artists who are preserving this ancient craft while revitalizing it with innovative storytelling.
Through experimentation with forms, iconography, and narrative, miniature painting emerges as a dynamic, vibrant medium. Moving beyond traditional
schools like Persian, Mughal, Rajput, Pahari, Deccan, Kashmiri, and Lahore, artists are introducing new symbols and reinterpreting representations.
These works incorporate motifs reflecting on contemporary issues such as feminism, homoeroticism, oppression, gender, political satire, historical events, environmental degradation, and self-exploration. As they challenge and redefine the boundaries of this medium, the artists also draw attention to the craft's dreamlike qualities, patience, and spirituality.
This exhibition is in partnership with Galerie Isa, Sarmaya Arts Foundation, Latitude 28, Anant Art Gallery, Nature Morte, Iram Art & Apre Art House.
An Alternative Contemporary opened on 06 December 2024 and will remain open until 28 February 2025.
For more details, call: +91 832 6750876; Email: info@sgcfa.org
Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, 63/C-8, Near Army House, Altinho, Panaji-Goa 403 001