From 26 November 2010 to 13 February 2011 the Essl Museum will present >INDIA AWAKENS< showcasing 34 young artists from India. Focusing on contemporary currents and tendency, the show complements last year’s hit exhibition >CHALO! INDIA<, which had been devoted to the established art scene of India.

The banyan tree in the title symbolises “the miracle that is India”. Marked by a prolific and tightly interwoven aerial root-system, the tree is said to have the miraculous power to grant wishes. Legend has it that Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment while sitting under a banyan tree in the city of Bodhgaya. Nowadays, the shade-giving tree is a popular place of encounter or recreation for the Indian population.

MAHUA SEN Stories in her womb, 2009 Installation, Kohlezeichnung, Video 132 x 208 cm © + Fotonachweis: Mahua Sen	ANTONIO PURI Detached, 2008 Mischtechnik auf Leinwand 183 x 366 cm © Antonio Puri Fotonachweis: Glenn D. Hudson

“In the context of the exhibition at the Essl Museum, the banyan tree symbolises the innovative power of young Indian artists, who are devoting their abundant creative power to an exploration of the developments and themes of tomorrow, and also the prophetic qualities ascribed to artists in India.”

Karlheinz Essl

In India, the contemporary arts are an up-and-coming phenomenon. It was only in 2010 that the first contemporary arts award was established, and in 2013 the first major museum of contemporary art will open its doors in Kolkata.

>INDIA AWAKENS< shows a blend of photography, sculpture, painting and installations. The opening will be celebrated with a performance by Zuleikha and Manish Chaudhari, who will also create an impressive installation.

Curator Alka Pande from the India Habitat Center in New Delhi has selected the works by 34 artists from all over the entire sub-continent.

AYESHA KAPUR Ameira fashion stylist with Raima Sen actress, workshop, Mumbai from the series “Bollywood Tinsle Town”, 2009 Ed. 1/7 Digitaler Print auf Hanemühle Archiv Papier 136 x 92 cm © + Fotonachweis: Ayesha Kapur	SURESH K. NAIR Cosmic Butterfly, 2010 Acryl auf Leinwand 182 x 274 cm © Suresh K. Nair Fotonachweis: Mischa Nawrata, Wien

The show will present works by Hemi Bawa, Sunaina Bhalla, Gautam Bhatia, Zuleikha Chaudhari, Tarun Chhabra, Remen Chopra, Prajjwal Choudhury, Baptist Coehlo, Vibha Galhotra, Abhishek Hazra, Manisha Jha, Ayesha Kapur, Shreyas Karle, Abir Karmakar, Suhasini Kejriwal, Siri Khandavilli, Riyas Komu, George Martin, Sonia Mehra-Chawla, Kristine Michael, Raj Mohanty, Suresh K. Nair, Pratima Naithani, Sandip Pisalkar, Prajakta Potnis, Antonio Puri, Prasad Raghavan, Sumedh Rajendran, Tarun Jung Rawat, Mahua Sen, Bandeep Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Viren Tanwar, Shiv Verma

Catalogue

The exhibition will be complemented by a catalogue with a preface by Karlheinz Essl, a text by the curator Alka Pande and statements by the artists.

Art Education

The art education team offers guided tours and workshops during the exhibition. Please access the current calendar of events at ART EDUCATION >>

Free bus shuttle

Visitors can reach the Essl Museum conveniently by free bus shuttle from Vienna city centre, Albertinaplatz 2 (Tues – Sun, 10 a.m., 12 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and return).

Press photos

Press photos are available upon request at the Press Office or via download from PRESS >>

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

Erwin Uhrmann (Leitung), uhrmann@essl.museum, +43 (0) 2243/370 50 60
Regina Holler-Strobl, holler-strobl@essl.museum, +43 (0) 2243/370 50 62