If one were to look beyond the superficial similarities between India and Mexico, beyond the obvious love for spicy gastronomical treats, vibrant street life, and passion for colours, these two countries are comparable as nations steeped in history, with indigenous civilizations dating back thousands of years, long periods under colonial rule, distinct social stratifications, multiple languages and faiths, and in contemporary times, as rapidly developing powers in the global scenario. Despite being on opposite sides of the globe, there is a strong shared semblance in the social and political forces that are shaping these developing economies in the postmodern, globalized era.
An Antipode So Close… is the first step in exploring these invisible connections, and brings to India the works of some of the most interesting artists from the Mexican scene today. The title takes inspiration from Octavio Paz’s essay “The Antipodes of Coming and Going” from his book In Light of India, which brings forth some of these considerations that bridges these two countries which are on opposite sides of the world.
The contemporary Mexican art scene is socially intense and politically charged. The works emerging from this context are edgy – denouncing and exploding in your face – and yet extremely poetic. The artists are engaged in social and artistic movements – continuously rethinking Mexican identity while addressing global issues. Many of their works propose an alternative vision of Mexico that is removed from the dilapidated image of the country transmitted by the popular media. Moving beyond the question of borders, they have been active in reinventing the vocabulary of globalised contemporary art when addressing issues concerning developing nations and their paths to modernization.
An Antipode So Close... will use the gallery as a laboratory for residencies and interventions as well as a space for debate, encounter and re-activation of knowledge during this period. While the exhibition will feature many recent works by the artists, of which some have been specifically made for the exhibition, it will also include older works which resonate with ideas and questions pertaining to India and the local art scene. Two of the participating artists – Manuel Rocha Iturbide and Roberto de la Torre – will come to India during the exhibition to create in-situ projects. They will work with local artists and thinkers to create process-based works, and will explore the relationship and relevance their practices have to and in the Indian context. Another artist from the show, Armando Miguelez, will conduct a three day seminar before the opening of the show.
The exhibition is supported by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Embassy of Mexico in India, National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA), the Mexican Ministry of Culture (CONACULTA) and UPL Ltd. and aims to attract an all new curiosity to a new capital of art, Mexico.
[Antipode: Originating from the Greek words anti (opposed) and pode (foot), this word is used in geography to describe any two places on Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to each other. Two points that are antipodal to each other are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth.]
Featured artists: Artemio, Tania Candiani, Roberto de la Torre, Demián Flores, Arturo Hernández Alcázar, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Armando Miguelez, Manuel Rocha Iturbide, and TRIODO.
-Vadehra Art Gallery
