65 Indian artists will get together in Italy for a groundbreaking exhibition in November

The Hub India art show in Turin marks what one hopes will be the re-emergence of physical art viewing worldwide

Sometimes art is the best catharsis. Even as India emerges into what seems like the beginning of the end of the pandemic, a major project featuring more than 65 Indian artists will open in Turin, Italy, in the coming days, signalling the relaunch of public and overseas engagements for art. Coming in these fractured times, the Hub India exhibition seems like a testament to the irrepressible quality of the humane and artistic spirit.

Curated by Myna Mukherjee and Davide Quadrio in collaboration with Turin’s annual contemporary art fair, Artissima, Hub India is backed by many players from the world of culture and art. Discussing the multi-part project, the curators outlined some of the main issues in a joint statement: “Crossing the cultural rubicon between modern and contemporary art, this curation rejects the colonial attitude of linear progress; rather, it uses tradition as a means of innovation, a continuous rebirth.” Their process included gathering works from a selection of several galleries and from the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art to put together a careful list that’s a little different from the usual set of names. With a plethora of artists to choose from, the curatorial team has been at work for over two years during the lockdown, on Zoom and social media, to cull out a collection that represents India’s ‘glocal’ resonance.

According to Kiran Nadar, director of KNMA, “Hub India showcases diverse strands of contemporary Indian art across generations, juxtaposing established and emerging practices for new and unfamiliar audiences in the Western world.” Calling it “an extraordinary effort,” Nadar says the show’s overriding aim is to present “the fertile, peculiar and unique terrain of contemporary India, unfolding under the themes, ‘Classical Radical’ and ‘Maximum Minimum’.”