The social history of planet Earth, and the rise and fall of civilisations is perhaps more deeply related to the act of transit than we might generally assume. Migration, both voluntary and forced, has defined the occupation and/or abandonment of continents and nations, shaping cultures and producing localised and mixed lineages. As a race, human beings leave residues of their interaction with the land, marking it with different aspects of ownership and control – whether they remain in one place, or shift several times during a lifetime. Human are profoundly bound by notions of belonging and ancestry, proving their ties to place through written and oral histories, through various sorts of documentation, and material attributes. A part of this lies in the built world – the villages, towns and cities; conglomerations of structures in every shape and size, to accommodate the vastly growing populations. The legacy of material culture in every part of the world, left behind by previous generations, stands as silent witness to past times, even as the ugly side of urban excess overshadows and consumes it all. This human-made urban detritus has been inching its way into the natural world, producing irreversible conflict and destruction.

Contemporary times have made mobility – of goods and persons – a mundane and taken-for-granted aspect of life, and until the current period of forced isolation, the vast cumulative carbon footprint generated by society and industry was fast reaching a dangerous point of no return. The complexity and precarity of our situation was brought home by the swift change in atmospheric conditions, the sudden clearing of skies with the reduction of pollution, the singing of birds and the free behaviour of animals, who strayed into city streets that were deserted of human presence. This pause in the regular functioning of the globe, however is short-lived; soon the workings of the Anthropocene will resume with renewed fervour, throwing existence headlong into the unknown future. In a cycle of consumption and neglect, the earth has been intrinsically altered, and all but squeezed out of its natural abundance; and as the current climate crises demonstrates – we don’t have much time.

The artists in the exhibition address the varied meanings and contexts of the notion of Transit – there are personal memories and visceral connections to land and home; metaphorical narratives of escape, loss and acceptance…as well as commentaries on the incapacity of our burgeoning cities and towns to contain anymore; the inability of the earth to sustain her natural rhythms under constant pressure. Some works draw attention to the undying beauty of natural elements and their resilience, but also the fragility of existence itself - not only for humans but all species. Artists, like everyone else, but perhaps with a recourse to art as a means of dialogue and catharsis - navigate the many questions and concerns personally and collectively.

How do we take responsibility, for a fragile and crumbling ecosystem? This moment in time, when the very possibility of movement is curtailed by a virus – what does transit mean? This earth is the one and only home we have -so where do we go from here?

- Text by Lina Vincent, 2021

 Note on poetry by Ajinkya Shenava, poet and curator of Poetly-

'there's no difference anymore between up and down,
north and south, heavy and light.
And how, then, can we know righteousness.'
- 'Skylab', Rolf Jacobsen

The poetry in this selection has been chosen to stand beside the art, not in conversation, or as jugalbandi. Read these, not as commissioned responses that are part of an ekphrastic exercise, but as luminous signposts along the meandering path of 'transit' that these artworks map.

Culled from diverse eras, geographies and cultural milieus, the poems and excerpts dialogue with various complex and universal themes that are reflected in the art:

the relationship between human beings and our environment, the advent of technology, the industrial age and the Anthropocene, the urban sprawl and our impact on nature, migration, dislocation, development, home and the body.

Read Full Poems 

“My works are based on issues arising out of an experience of global warming and effects of the concrete jungle. They highlight the social and environmental repercussions of an ever-expanding city. Based on my personal experiences, both as a rural migrant and as a city dweller, they represent my projections about the not-so-distant future, of rural exodus, express urbanization, and the result of crowding and dislocation of life.”

"The concept of ‘transit’ is closely related to my work because I use in my paintings - old objects, stories, and reflections of belongings in contemporary urban space.

In my childhood my mother and my grandmother would tell me mesmerising stories during my bed time, about how my grandfather collected old objects like typewriters, compasses, old vintage watches and other things.  I saw these objects through my childhood perception; they are not with me right now but in my subconscious, they remain, the mind has all these stories tucked away. The memory has a storehouse of moments, passing through time and space, and geographies. In present times, we do not use these objects, they are museumised or taken into oblivion; perhaps also upgraded to newer forms. I contemplate with wonder about the return of these objects in present times; I think about this mixing of real and imaginary. "

"For me, the most important ability of humankind is that of sensitivity and awareness. It is this quality that is evident in the indigenous communities of the world, wherein life is approached with humbleness and respect. I would like our attention to be drawn to minuscule details of life; whether it is the sound of a raindrop or a spinning top. Outwardly, the shapes may be familiar, yet they do not conform to a known visual landscape - they are altered, moving away. A raindrop, a spin top, or a bunch of leaves could be symbols of growth and movement. 

‘Topo’ is a spinning top that acts as a metaphor for questions about the urban landscapes we inhabit. The work is inspired by an Indian toy that is juxtaposed with pyramidal structures resembling the urban architecture we live in today. ‘Sound of Rain’ draws an indistinct line between form and sound. The shape stems from the splash of the raindrop and the sound of this non-uniform motion is addressed through the work. Raindrops, along with all things that fall, drop to the Earth because of gravity. ‘Entwined’ mimics the curling of leaves; it may be an action to protect oneself from the harshness of life around. It is this interweaving of bodies, leaves, and things that is manifested as a totem."

"Man’s relationship with nature has myriad forms. We live in a society where birds, animals, and flowers are not only part of our religious landscape being vahana’s (vehicles) of various gods and goddesses, they are also considered auspicious in their own right. However, it is also a fact that we continue to destroy the precious lives and habitats of these creatures we deem so important.

Using a series of allegorical elements and visual narrative tools my works take the form of an instrument of ecological awareness. Through extensive research, I aim to lead viewers to intricately rendered details of the negative human impact on bird and animal life. In my paintings, I attempt to bring light to the fact that many species are facing habitat destruction and are slowly inching towards extinction. I feel their sensations that pass through my mind and try to portray them in a contemporary language."

"My works delve into, and excavate the hidden aspects of human emotion through textural engagement and curiosity. There is an underlying poignant aspect to making my creative world with little or no colour; I also refer to braille as a metaphor for seeing and perception in life. Often my works invite human touch - touching with the mind followed by rejuvenating experiences of what one feels in the process. This makes my works therapeutic in contemporary times, when we feel blinded by misleading and corrupt understanding of dehumanized selves.

I also see my work as addressing other issues that come with the visual and the sensation in effect – like the beauty and fragility of our lives and how vulnerable we are. I want to represent the structures of knowledge and belief that we use to understand and visualize it. My works are continually expanding and evolving, replete with allusions drawn from ritual practices, nature, traditions, and scientific elements and principles.” 

“Before we belong to any profession, we as individuals have equal responsibilities in society. It is hard to define what one should do to keep a balance with the ecosystem. We all have a tremendous desire to become someone or achieve something, but every individual should be aware of their actions. As an individual, I used to be angry about human consumption and harmful action, but when I think deeply it feels like whatever is happening it is meant to be. May a big wave will wash everything away, and there will be new beginnings; it is inevitable in nature from every perspective.

As human beings we have an ability to change certain things to some extent; even when creating a piece of art, we must be aware of our consumption. The real question is, can we practice Buddhahood in modern times? We preach it, but how many of us are practically adopting an equilibrium with nature? As an artist, I try to bring awareness among the close circle of people I encounter, and through my work, I extend this dialogue. I think we are in an endless journey, in which we heal and grow and then a new disease comes and we find the cure and heal ourselves again, this is our civilization’s destiny.”

“My work seeks to highlight humankind’s relationship with nature. I believe our lives are inexorably intertwined and are both complex and interdependent.

Birds are an extension of nature and have been revered since ancient times. With current ecological concerns such as climate change and habitat loss, birds are threatened worldwide. Growth in human populations has altered natural ecosystems for consumption of resources, causing deterioration and loss of biodiversity.

Isn’t it paradoxical that humans who are responsible for this dire situation are now appalled by the present damage?

These multiple layers of complexities are embedded in my work. Using repetitive and labor-intensive techniques such as sewing, knotting, twisting, raveling and unravelling, I generate forms with disparate material that carry distinct symbolism. These diverse materials merge organically into a cohesive whole. 

By recycling and constantly giving new shapes and meanings to the discarded feathers I collect, I believe I am making felt the presence of these beings.” 

“Being an individual who migrated from a rural upbringing to living and working multicultural, cosmopolitan surroundings has been a major influence in my arts practice over the years, with an emphasis on the complex, multi-layered character of the urban living and the changing facets of human relationships, belonging and identity. Persons and communities migrating from villages to metros for various reasons remains a larger socio-political issue both from a historical and contemporary perspective within the increasing rural-urban divide in our society. 

My practice over the years involved building a language around the understanding of reality by transforming it into imaginary narratives, and by reassembling aspects of the environment and manipulating meanings. Pledge 1 and 2 are symbolic conceptions of the significance of the right use of technological inventions in the empowerment of the rural within the idea of bridging the divide whereas, Territory and Trespass are attempts to romanticize the idea of land and environment within the context of human interference in the natural habitat, and the consequences that come about.”

“Since migrating to Delhi from North East India, my work process has changed significantly. In particular, the contextual and structural changes of work are expressed in parallel with how closely I feel and try to know and understand this metropolis. For the last few years, the conceptual framework of my practice is based on the understanding of ‘land-Escape’, a term that is inherent in the artworks and the process I am currently engaged with. ‘LandEscape’ is an outcome of the observation of the transfiguration of metropolitan cities and territories. 

I would like to discourse on the reflection of time and the correlation between man and land. When I look through a window, there appears nothing other than clustered concrete deprived of aesthetics and the bleak reality of rapidly growing cities feels claustrophobic - a paradox of vertical and horizontal lines, a parody of Suprematism, chastised by the vehemence of progress. The adversity of time and hustled lifestyle changed the definition of landscape. The architectonic characteristics of my works are metaphorical; an expression of that same understanding lies beneath the observation and the truth of nature I have experienced through the years. The city's splendor no longer impresses me, but the growing impression of time draws more and more attention to it. Salted walls, rusted realities, tumultuous relationships, a deception's life all gain more attention, which is implicit in my work. My material, process, medium, and so on are actively changing in tandem with the work's contextual integration, and drives my experimentation.”

ANOOP PANICKER 

Anoop Panicker (b.1961, Quilon Town, India) earned his graduate degree in Zoology at Kerala University, he has a B.A. in Fine Sculpture and an M.F.A. in creative sculpture from the M.S. University in Baroda. He has participated in several group shows that include, Questions and Dialogue, Baroda, 1987; India in Switzerland, Centre Genevois de Gravure Contemporain, Geneva, 1987; Recent trends in Contemporary Art, Vadhera Gallery, Delhi, 1995; Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Kerala, 2021. The artist’s solo shows include, Geometry of Resilience, Mumbai, 2006 and Circumnavigations, Mumbai 2007. The artist has taught at NIFT Delhi, School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University, Delhi, College of Art, Delhi, and the Mahindra United World College, Pune. 

Panicker’s works are reminiscent of a simpler past, a time without technology. The artist, through his figurative abstractions, denotes nostalgia about a rural past, of which the present is a mere remnant.

ASHISH KHUSHWAHA
Ashish Kushwaha (b.1987, Chattisgarh, India) earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting at the I.K.S.V.V in Khairagarh. His work has been exhibited widely in group shows across the country, recent solo shows include Title of show, Taj Falaknuma, Hyderabad 2019; Inheritance of Loss, India International Centre, New Delhi, 2018; Title, Icon Gallery, Hyderabad, 2014. Kushwaha has shown at Art Basel in Miami and New York in 2015 and is the recipient of the Prafulla Dahanukar Foundation Award in 2016 and 2018. 

Kushwaha’s paintings lament the loss of the natural world. He grew up on the periphery of the Achanakmar Wildlife sanctuary and subsequently moved to Mumbai. The stark difference between a life in proximity to the natural world and one in a megapolis like Mumbai is possibly what made the artist choose one subject for the body of his work over the years. Kushwaha has consistently worked with ecological narratives emerging from the apocalyptic-like devastation of over-urbanisation.

BHARTTI VERMA
Bhartti Verma (b. 1987, Delhi, India) acquired her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Painting from the College of Art, Delhi University. A solo exhibition of her works titled The Post Human Metropolis was held at Art Heritage Gallery in 2014. Some of her group shows include The Body, Shanghumugham Art Museum, Kerala, 2019 and Emerging Canvas V (Indo-Korea Group Show), Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai, 2018. The artist is the recipient of the Wade Asia young artist award in 2018, The H K Kejriwal Young Artist Award by Mahua Art Gallery & Kejriwal Foundation, Bangalore, 2016 and First Award for Painting, Kala Sahitya Parishad, New Delhi, 2014.

Verma’s paintings serve as a dialogue between the past and present. She immerses the viewer in a world of sublime fantasy, one that feels eerily abandoned. The artist creates a hypnotic dialogue between the objects and spaces of her childhood. Time seems to stand still in this alternate reality where Verma recreates an urban environment of her making. 

HARSHA DURUGADDA
Harsha Durugadda (b. 1989,Hyderabad, India) holds a Master of Arts Diploma in Visual Communication from WLC College, New Delhi, 2011 and an MA in Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, 2016. His solo exhibition titled ‘Whirling Out’ was shown at the Lalit Kala Academy in New Delhi in 2016. The artist has participated in several group exhibitions some of which include Nord Art, Büdelsdorf, Germany, 2018; Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe, Australia 2016, 2017, 2018;  Translations, Emergent Art Space, Portland, USA 2015;  Cultural Coalitions, Plastic Propaganda, London, 2014; Sarai City, Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi, 2013; and Unbox Festival, Queens Gallery, British Council, New Delhi, 2012. Durugadda is the recipient of the Biafarin Award; NordArt, Germany, 2018; Rio Tinto Sculpture Award, Australia, 2017; and The Andrea Stretton Memorial Award, Australia.

Durugadda’s multidisciplinary practice includes sculpture, performance, installations and sound. The artist encourages the audience to physically engage with his works in which found objects such as metal, stone, juliflora wood and automobile tyres are often used. Durugadda pairs together atypical and unexpected objects and forms, pushing the boundaries of the identifiable creating works that are dynamic and enigmatic.

MANISHA AGRAWAL

Manisha Agrawal (b. 1989, Indore, India) completed her Bachelor and Master in Painting from the Government Fine Arts College in Indore. The artist has participated in group shows including GAAF, Museum of Goa, Goa, 2017, 2018, 2019; Nature | Deliberated, Art Centrix, Delhi, 2018; Perspects 2018, Gallery 88, Kolkata, 2018; Inchange of Space, Apparao Galleries, New Delhi and Gurgaon, 2018; Maitrey, Indo-Nepal Artist International exhibition, Lucknow, 2019; Aroh, Emami Art Open Call Mentorship Camp, 2020; Thinking Around Corners, (curated by Bhavna Kakar and Renu Modi), TAPIndia, 2021 and Believing the Unbelievable -The metaphor of the Ark, Apparao Galleries, 2021. Agrawal’s solo shows include Vanishing Beauty, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, 2019; Shelter, Gallery white, TAPIndia, 2020. 

Manisha Agrawal actively engages with the idea of the Epoch of the Anthropocene. Her detailed botanical illustrations of endangered species and commonly seen flora and fauna serve as an archive of what could, one day, be extinct. The artist lives and works in her hometown Indore, whose proximity to several wildlife sanctuaries under threat of encroachment, brings about the sense of urgency in her work.

NILESH SHILKAR 

Nilesh Shilkar (b. 1978 Ratnagiri, India) has a Bachelor of Fine Art in Drawing & Painting and a Masters in Fine Art in Painting from the Sir J.J. School of Art Mumbai. He has participated in several groups and solo shows including, Black & White, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2007; Minimal Expression, Icon Art Gallery, Hyderabad, 2009; Collateral Exhibition, Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016; Honeycomb, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2018; Text as Text - II, Art and Soul, Mumbai, 2018; Belles Petites Choses, Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata, 2019. The artist has shown at the Busan International Art Fair, South Korea in 2019 and has participated in the Piramal Art Residency in 2019 and 2020.  

Nilesh Shilkar experiments with a paper pricking technique which was born as a way of showing his visually impaired father his artwork. His Braille-like, punctured canvas looks beyond the two-dimensional nature of paper to draw on the humble medium's vast potential and versatility. Minimalist expressions on his vast, white spaces draw attention to his themes of ritual practices, nature, traditions, and scientific elements and principles. His works emphasise "Sparsh- Sanvedana" (Tactile Sensation), inviting human touch to further stimulate human emotion.

SAMIR MOHANTY
Samir Mohanty (b. 1989, Orissa, India) earned a BFA in  Painting from the Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneshwar, and an MFA in Painting from the Hyderabad Central University. His works have been exhibited in several groups shows including I Love Delhi, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (2020), Trace in Leaves and Flowers That Round Me Lie, Anant Art, New Delhi, Returning to the Earth, Italian Cultural Embassy (2017-2018), Pulses at the Piramal Art Museum, Mumbai (2012) and Art for Young Collectors, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai, 2012. He was awarded the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Canada Grant in 2008 and 2011. 

Keeping nature as the protagonist in his works, Mohanty explores the intimate and often metaphysical relationship between the human body and the natural world. The artist situates the human body within nature, emphasizing this symbiotic relationship, as a reminder of the delicate balance between all life that shares this planet. He often uses dried and preserved twigs to create his sculptural works, alluding to the cycle of life and death. 

SARIKA BAJAJ

Sarika Bajaj (b.1976, Ghaziabad, India,) completed her Bachelor in Fine Arts in painting at Rachna Sansad, Mumba in 2009. The artist has participated in group exhibition which include, Homage, AMAA,Mumbai 2018; Vocabularies, Art Positive, Delhi, 2018; A Thing of Beauty, The Loft, Mumbai, 2016; Kashish Art Festival, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai, 2015; India’s Reflections, Fabian & Claude Walter Galerie, Zurich, 2011. Sarika Bajaj has participated in the India Art Fair 2012, Kunst Art Fair, Zurich 2011 and Scope Basel 2011. Her solo show titled Flight was curated by Anupa Mehta at The Loft in 2017. 

Bajaj’s work highlights people’s relationship with nature, she juxtaposes bodily forms with flowers, birds, roots of trees and branches. The artist believes in an intangible and interdependent bond that humankind has to the natural world. Her recent body of work includes the use of bird feathers, emphasizing the environmental threat the species face in a rapidly urbanized world. The artist attributes her use of feathers to the place birds have in mythology and the ritualistic use of feathers in Indigenous cultures around the world. 

VENUGOPAL V G
Venugopal V.G. (b. 1976, Kerala, India) holds an MFA in Printmaking from the Chitrakala Institute of Advanced Studies, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore and a BFA in Painting from the Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA), University of Mysore. Solo exhibitions of the artist's works include Factual Fictions, Gallery Veda, Chennai 2016, Monologues, Gallery Blue Spade, Bangalore, 2010. Venugopal has participated in numerous group shows including Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space, YepArt, Bangalore; Art One at Avani, Calicut, Kerala, 2016; The Print Spotlight 2, Gallery 545, Bangalore, 2013; Between the Lines – Identity, Place and Power, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore and Mumbai, 2013. He has been a recipient of the National Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship, New Delhi, 2000-01; and the National Scholarship, Department of Culture, Government of India, New Delhi, 2002.            

 Venugopal’s surrealist works critically engage with migration, urbanisation and contemplates the future of our planet. His works centre around the environmental impact of urbanism on city dwellers and investigates ideas of identity, belonging and displacement. Although the artist’s works are largely based on his personal experience, he contextualises ideas around migration as synonymous with mankind's history. 

VICTOR HAZRA
Victor Hazra (b. 1988, Tripura, India) earned his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata in 2014, and Bachelor of Visual Arts in painting from the Govt. College of Art and Craft, Agartala in 2011. He has held several solo and group shows including D-IS-PLAY II at NIV Art Center, New Delhi, 2016; Eccentric at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, 2013; Gwanghwamun International Art Festival 2018, Korea; and the Pepper House Residency + Exhibition at Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, 2016-2017. He has been the recipient of several awards including the Junior artist scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, India, 2014-16; Sumangal Sen Memorial Merit Scholarship, 2008 and Tripura Rabindra Parishad, Agartala, 2008.

Hazra’s artworks contemplate the complex and precarious relationship between man and land.  The artist acts as a witness to the transfiguration of the metropolitan landscape and territory. He uses a coined phrase ‘land-escape’ to describe what he sees: miles of grey concrete, a sea of construction and cities devoid of beauty. The absence of the natural world is obvious and Hazra laments its loss to the ‘vehemence of progress’.