Contemporary

Ravinder Reddy, Tara, 2004.

The exhibition Paris-Delhi-Bombay at the Centre Pompidou has by far been my favorite of all the shows that I've seen thus far in Paris. Focusing on Indian contemporary art and contemporary artists who are interested in India, the exhibition is bold, colorful and full of hidden surprises. I was really impressed by how the curators combined a heavy load of didactic material without seeming neither pedantic nor pandering. Indian culture was concisely "introduced" to a French audience, but there was never an ethnographic or voyeuristic feel, nor was there any overblown East-West pontification. It was very fresh, very strong, and I greatly enjoyed the hours I spent going through it.

An example of informational painted scrolls made by women artisans.

The exhibition poster on the outside of the Pompidou.

Riyas Komu, Beyond Gods, 2011. Wooden sculpture of footballers' legs.

Jean-Michel Othoniel, Sans titre, 2010.

Hema Upadhyay, Think Left, Think Right, Think Low, Think Tight, 2010. Vertical reproduction of Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia, located in Bombay.

Subodh Gupta, Ali Baba, 2011. Room-sized installation of tablewear, inspired by Indian commercial spaces as well as the idea of Ali Baba's cave of treasures.