Cultural Almanac 2024: The Upcoming Year
Crystal Ball of Art and Music
{ART }
Natural Death
Date: January 19 | Location: Apollo Bandar’s Dhanraj Mahal
Up till now, the public could see the stainless-steel works created by artist Subodh Gupta at BKC’s Jio World Drive. They will be shown in a new, permanent location at Dhanraj Mahal near the Gateway of India in 2024 by the Delhi-based gallery Nature Morte. The Mumbai location of Nature Morte, which is housed on the third level of the art deco building’s Block A, will launch with a solo exhibition by Gupta that runs through March 9 and includes sculptures, paintings, and wall reliefs.
Since its 1997 Delhi premiere by director Peter Nagy, Nature Morte has amassed a roster that includes well-known Indian performers like Mrinalini Mukherjee, Bharti Kher, and LN Tallur, as well as Mumbai locals like the Kallats and Dhruvi Acharya. Asim Waqif and Martand Khosla, two younger talents, have also been incorporated by co-director Aparajita Jain, who joined in 2013. “We felt it appropriate to open a permanent space because the majority of our artists do not work with a gallery in Mumbai,” explains Nagy.
Mumbai Occasion
January 20–28 | Location: All throughout the city
Every year, a number of large-scale outdoor events are held over multiple weekends during the limited winter season in Mumbai. Starting this year, Maharashtra Tourism’s Mumbai Festival unites them all under one roof. Over the same nine days in January, there will be a number of additional events including music concerts, a film festival, and beach activities, in addition to the Mumbai Marathon, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Happy Streets, Yoga by the Bay, and Aarogyam Kidzathon. There will be a retail festival and a cricket zone in conjunction with large trade shows like Maha Mumbai Expo and Tourism Conclave. The event, which is being organized by Anand Mahindra, is supposed to bring together everything that the city has to offer.
Mumbai Gallery Weekend
Dates: January 11–14; Location: Galleries from Juhu to Colaba
Mumbai Gallery Weekend is a four-day event that ties together the city’s usual Saturday and Art Night Thursday gallery-hopping activities with thought-provoking discussions and experiences. This also applies to the 12th edition. There are 36 participating locations, including newcomers like Akara Contemporary, Gallery XXL (which will create a permanent space in Colaba this year), and Method Juhu, as well as more well-known galleries like Chemould Prescott Road, Isa, DAG, Maskara, and others. Additionally, a series of discussions in conjunction with the India Art Fair will be held at the CSMVS this year. The first art and design publication in India, “The Irregular Times,” will conduct a salon at Subko Cacao; Raw Mango will host an Odissi performance by visual artist Kuldeep Singh; and Kathiwada City House will offer a Young Collectors Program.
The 14-minute video piece “Bombay Tilts Down” near Sassoon Docks may be the most fascinating off-site attraction. The video clip, which was produced by Studio Camp and shown by Experimenter, was taken by a CCTV camera that was positioned atop a 35-story Worli building. Everyday life in Jijamata Nagar and BDD Chawls is captured on camera as the sky becomes smaller.
Sudarshan Shetty
January 6–17 | IFBE, Ballard Estate as the venue
In 2017, conceptual artist Sudarshan Shetty had his last exhibition in Mumbai at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, where he showcased his work titled “Shoonya Ghar.” Inspired by a quote from Pandit Kumar Gandharva, “We are individually multiple,” his upcoming show at IFBE, “One Life Many,” explores the idea of carrying an “other” or many others within ourselves. It is designed as an immersive exhibit with installations, film projections, and physical elements.
According to Shetty, “The inspiration for this exhibition came from a folk tale I heard a long time ago. It is told through a video and a collection of objects that can be viewed in a specific order to tell the story as many different ways as possible.” Oral traditions thrive on retelling because it fosters a feeling of community and preserve knowledge that has been accumulated over ages. In what other way may we interpret the present? As an artist, I would like to think of my work as a bridge between the life I view from where I belong, outside of the Western canons, and how I am conditioned to fit into a framework set by them.
The visual calendar in brief:
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad’s presentation with TV Santhosh will continue till February 11 and CSMVS’s “Ancient Sculptures” (in the picture) will run until October 1. The work of land artist Kulpreet Singh will be shown in November at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, while Gulammohammed Sheikh will be shown in April at Chemould Prescott Road. Children will learn about urban gardening, composting, and soil food in March at the Grow Lab, which will be located on the terrace of the newly built Museum of Solutions in Lower Parel. Additionally, from January 11 to March 10, Space118 will present “The Right To Look – II,” an exhibition of abstract and landscape photos from Mumbai patron Saloni Doshi’s collection. Lastly, Anjolie Ela Menon’s solo exhibition at Art Musings will run until February 29.
{ SOUND }
1. Ed Sheeran
March 16th | Location: Mahalaxmi Race Course
Ed Sheeran’s “Mathematics” tour is summed up as a carrot-topped dude playing a guitar without any showmanship. The tour, which is essentially a one-man performance, began in Dublin in 2022 and will end in Mumbai, India, where Calum Scott, another British singer-songwriter, will be a special guest. Throughout the two-hour performance, Sheeran plays songs from all seven of his albums. His “mission for the evening is to play as many songs as you recognize,” therefore he will be playing “Thinking Out Loud,” “Bad Habits,” “Galway Girl,” and “Sing” among other songs; “Shape of You” will be played later in the performance. The event demonstrates the worldwide influence of a unique singer-songwriter who began his career performing for an audience of twenty in Camden using live looping and a small amount of rapping.
2. The Mahindra Blues Festival
Period: February 10 and 11; location: Bandra’s Mehboob Studio
The current lineup for the Mahindra Blues Festival is a far cry from Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, and other trailblazing American women who introduced the blues to cabarets, theaters, and the nascent recording business. The 12th edition features all female headliners, including the formidable blues artist Beth Hart, the Southern rock and blues-savvy singer-songwriter Dana Fuchs, the saxophonist and vocalist Vanessa Collier, the vocalist-guitarist Samantha Fish from Kansas City, the gospel, R&B, and blues artist Sheryl Youngblood, and the all-around cool cat and leader of the Shillong blues scene Tipriti Kharbangar, featuring vocalist Kanchan Daniel. Youngblood and Hart are both Grammy nominees; Fuchs is well-known for her bluesy, smoky vocals, and Fish is well-known for her visceral rhythms and vitality.
3. Jain Anuv
January 21st | Location: Dome, NSCI, Worli
Anuv Jain, the indie darling and singer-songwriter whose mournful, soothing tunes have comforted over a million lonely hearts, is about to perform his greatest event in Mumbai to yet. The cutesy singer has over 1.2 million YouTube subscribers for his puppy love songs, and his first single, “Baarishein” (2018), has 75 million views despite not having a music video. The majority of the eleven songs that Jain has published in the last five years—including “Gul” and “Mishri”—were found by listeners when the country was under lockdown. Although his minimalist words and calming tunes are best enjoyed in the privacy of one’s own home via earbuds, the same atmosphere might be created in a large performance hall with the arrival of some bearish in and chai.
4. Indo Storage
Date: January 25; Location: Worli’s Dome, NSCI
Diaspora artists Armaan Gupta and Kunal Merchant seem to be followers of Daler Mehndi and AR Rahman, much like Indian youths of the 1990s. In their concerts, Mehndi’s foot-tapping song “Tunak,” along with snippets from “Dil Se,” “Lagaan,” and “Highway” are freely blended in with techno music. Co-founders of the New York record label Indo Warehouse, they often grace dance floors throughout the US, London, and Amsterdam with South Asian-inspired electronic dance music. However, they are making their first trip to India as part of the Sunburn Festival lineup, starting with a stand-alone performance at NSCI. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gupta said, “As kids, we found ourselves DJing family parties and being taken to classical concerts.” The event will include the see-sawing between multiple music cultures that are so common to playlists in India, with the artist stating, “In college, we were leading bhangra teams and spinning at house parties.”
A quick glimpse at the music calendar:
On January 7 at the NCPA, Gulzar, Shantanu Moitra, and other performers will pay homage to Gurudev Tagore’s children’s poetry with Aadi Anant.
On January 25, Anoushka Shankar will play at the NCPA to commemorate her yearly visit to Mumbai.
The Mahalaxmi Race Course will host the second Lollapalooza on January 27 and 28. Halsey, the Jonas Brothers, and Sting will perform live.
On February 17, UB40 will play at the NSCI.
The NCPA will host the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) Spring 2024 from February 2–16. Favorite guest artists Martyn Brabbins and pianist Barry Douglas return, while conductor Gergely Madaras, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, and cellist Bryan Cheng make their India debuts.
{ THEATRE & FILMS}
Melina Ani
Date: January 18–21 | Location: Pedder Road’s Films Division Compound, NFDC
Large Western studios have been receiving back-end VFX help from India, but Indian animators, VFX artists, game developers, comic book and graphic novel artists, and creators have a wealth of technical know-how and untapped potential to produce unique, indigenous material. AniMela, the first international animation festival of its type in India, intervenes in this situation by offering the appropriate mentoring. There will be movie screenings, knowledge-sharing workshops, immersive experience zones, VFX making, and creator zones for comic book and graphic novel artists throughout the course of four days. “Most Indian audiences perceive animation as children’s content,” said executive director Neha Jain in a statement. In a similar vein, nothing is known about the potential of extended reality, video games, and visual effects. Our goal with AniMela is to dispel these constrictive notions and raise interest and awareness in the sector.
Jimmy Carr in India
Location: Mahakavi Kalidas Natyamandir, Mulund | Date: January 20
For the first time, British stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr, one of the sassiest in the UK, is making his way across India. Sharp repartee and snappy comments are hallmarks of the British panel show presenter, who has hosted series including “8 Out of 10 Cats,” “8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown,” and “The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.” He gives his all while collaborating with other comedians on television; they often make fun of him for looking like Roger Federer, his hyena laugh, hair transplants, teeth whitening, and a 2012 tax fraud scandal. Carr is merciless when it comes to his one-liners and vicious when it comes to making fun of the crowd. However, he is bringing his “Terribly Funny” tour to India since his kind of humor has become more popular due to YouTube videos and Netflix specials.
The theater schedule in brief:
The ballet “El Dorado: The Golden One” was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Anita Kulkarni and Daksha Mashruwala, an exemplary Odissi dancer. Set on January 20 at the Royal Opera House, it has custom costumes and unique artwork. “Constellations,” starring Aahana Kumra and Kunal Roy Kapoor (in the picture), will have a fresh cast and run from February 15–18 at the NCPA. On February 3 at the NCPA, the Marathi drama “A Perfect Murder” will have its 350th performance.
INTERESTS
Chanakya’s creative director, {Karishma Swali}
H/l: “Industrial India’s rich heritage informs modern fashion”
How have you found 2023 to be?
For us, 2023 has turned out to be an incredible chapter. We exhibited Chanakya’s commitment to protecting and preserving India’s intangible cultural heritage via our creative endeavors. These endeavors blurred the traditionally drawn lines between art and craft while simultaneously honoring a heritage spanning four decades and creating a new vocabulary in contemporary art. Our mutual beliefs came together during the Dior Fall 2023 show in Mumbai earlier this year, which emphasized our dedication to craft and promoted women’s empowerment. Alongside, we launched ‘Mūḷ Māthī: From The Roots,’ a partnership with the Chanakya School of Craft that showcases 22 expansive textile pieces created by artists Madhvi and Manu Parekh. It was a fantastic pleasure to share this cultural exchange with an international audience. We also introduced limited-edition souvenirs for our interdisciplinary fables and myths research, “Kalpavana: The Forest of Boons.”
What do you intend to do in 2024?
We will be showing original artwork as well as creative partnerships with well-known French contemporary painters Barthélémy Toguo and Eva Jospin at the India Art Fair (in Delhi) in February of 2024. In addition, we are happy to inform you that, in association with Madhvi and Manu Parekh, we will have an exhibition in Venice from April to November 2024, named “Cosmic Garden.”
Regarding patronage and recognition, how do you see the near future shaping out for India’s artisan traditions?
The core of Indian culture is craft, which gives its many distinct groups a sense of individuality. Handcrafting has been a significant form of commerce for ages and continues to be so now. The rich artisanal traditions of India have influenced modern design in many ways, particularly in terms of fashion and textile lexicon. India has played a significant part in fashion and art in general, and I think it will continue to do so. For India, this is a really transformative moment. The educated and culturally aware youth of today have easy access to India’s distinctive spiritual and social infrastructure, which will enable them to adapt, innovate, and effect change.
The creator of Suren Joshi, Joshi House, and Sukoon
H/l: “Global flavors with an emphasis on sustainability”
How have you found the last two years to be?
With the exciting recent debuts of Affogato, a gelateria in Khar; Sukoon, a vegetarian, vegan, and Satvik garden eating place in Bandra; and Shelter by Javaphile, a three-story community dining café in Versova, it’s been an amazing ride over the last two years. These new businesses are part of the family that already includes Joshi House, The Conservatory, and several Javaphile locations across the city. Seeing the enthusiastic reaction and encouragement from our customers is really heartwarming. We have put our all into every project, building distinctive venues in Mumbai’s thriving hotel industry by riding a wave of creative energy and deliberate growth.
What do you intend to do in 2024?
As we look forward to 2024, our strategy is still based on reality and community-oriented. We want to keep finding possibilities that align with our goal of providing outstanding products. As always, my committed staff and I are working together to provide our clients with even more amazing experiences, and we are excited about it. We’re grateful for our trip so far and eager to see what lies ahead, all the while maintaining a healthy balance between aspiration and appreciation.
In the foreseeable future, how do you envision Mumbai’s culinary scene developing?
The food scene in Mumbai is always changing, and we’re excited to be a part of this fascinating adventure. We predict that people’s interests and preferences will continue to diversify and that people will value unusual eating experiences more and more. Global flavors and sustainability are major trends, and we’re determined to lead these changes in food trends. Our goal is to consistently provide our patrons with a pleasant and welcoming environment, going above and beyond their expectations.
Founder and creative director of InOrdinary, {Priyansha Jain}
“Next exhibition in a heritage neighborhood” is the heading.
Could you simply describe your artistic journey?
I studied spatial design in London and Sweden after receiving my degree in visual communication, specializing in exhibition design. I went to museum exhibits almost every other day during this period, which helped me to officially cultivate my interest in craft, design, and the arts. It helped that during my stay in Europe, I visited the biennials and triennials of art and design on every holiday. After moving back to Mumbai, I studied modern and contemporary Indian art and curatorial studies at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum on the weekends. Eventually, I went to Venice for a curatorial program. I then managed an artist residence while working as deputy director at a curatorial lab in Mumbai. In the end, I was chosen to serve as curator for the 22–23 Mumbai Urban Art Festival.
What is the purpose of InOrdinary?
Located at the nexus of function, design, and art, InOrdinary is a carefully selected design collection gallery that aims to encourage a closer relationship with commonplace items. In addition to housing these useful items in an online gallery and a number of site-specific, seasonal exhibits, InOrdinary operates as a curatorial company that specializes in multidisciplinary experience creation and curation.
In 2024, what are your intentions for InOrdinary?
We recently asked eighteen modern designers and artists to rethink the form, function, materiality, and action related to a cup. They then displayed their creations at Subko Bakehouse and Café, moving the objects from a gallery setting into a setting that emphasizes their usefulness. Nearly 100 cups were on display in this show, “Many Cups in a Large Sink,” which was a scenography of a home sink. We will be examining ideas of time in our next show, and we have commissioned designers and artists to make a diverse range of products in response to the topic. The location of the exhibition—a historic neighborhood where time passes differently—will speak to the character of the things on display. As part of our curatorial consultation, we also conceptualize, art-direct, and produce diverse sensory experiences. We will be collaborating with unique lifestyle companies and art galleries that share our philosophy of mindful living in the next year.
