Space118 X Sakshi Gallery

MAKING SPACE

Curated by Saloni Doshi

Sakshi Gallery is delighted to collaborate with Space118 to present ‘Making Space,’ an exhibition celebrating a decade of the studios, founded by Saloni Doshi in 2009. The show will preview on 19th September at Sakshi Gallery, from 6pm to 9pm.

In the words of Doshi, Director, Space118, “Making Space is for artists to reinterpret their studio term in their own way. The usage of a studio is a personal and intimate experience for artists – acting as a playground, laboratory or even sanctum, and their work is displayed on the ‘Open Studio Day,’ at the culmination of their stay at Space118. Over the years, several ideas, art works, art forms, practices, techniques, materials and methods have been discovered, learnt and un-learnt at the studios. It is this new body of work that I seek to show in this curated exhibition of 33 artists as well as chart their specific journeys. It is the very essence of what a studio term brings to the mental framework of artists and the experimentation of the same, that I aim to bring out.”

“All proceeds from sales of the works in the exhibition will go to the artists and towards the publication of the book, ‘Mapping Residencies in India – Post Independence starting from the Sarabhais till today,’ which I have been researching for the past 7 years. During this process, I realized that the pioneers in offering residencies in India were people such as the Sarabhai Family in Ahmedabad and Bhulabhai Desai family in Mumbai, whose dedicated efforts have gone deep down in creating an art ecosystem in this country. The purpose of this publication is to celebrate the institutions and people who have made space in their homes and hearts for artists and their creativity for decades.”

“I am very grateful to Geetha Mehra for having this celebration for us and for her contribution towards the book.”

Making Space will be on view at Sakshi Gallery until 19th October 2019 from 11am to 6pm, except Sundays and public holidays.

All Participating Artists have been residents of Space118:

Aaiushi Beniwal, Al-Qawi Tazal Nanavati, Ankush Safaya, Arvind Sundar, Baptist Coelho, Chinmoyi Patel, Dheer Kaku, Farah Mulla, Gauri Gill, Juan Requena, Mansi Bhatt, Maripelly Praveen Goud, Meenakshi Nihalani, Midhun Gopi, Mrugen Rathod, Mustafa Khanbhai, Nandita Kumar, Neha Choksi, Parag Tandel, Parul Gupta, Pratap Morey, Radhika Wader, Raymonde April, Remen Chopra, Richi Bhatia, Sarasija Subramanian, Schön Mendes, Sharmistha Ray, Shivanjani Lal, Tanya Goel, Tarini Sethi, Tejal Shah, Viraj Mithani.

About Space118

Founded in 2009, Space118 provides studios and residencies on a short-term basis to artists, as part of its commitment to supporting emerging art practitioners from all parts of the country and the world. We are looking at a diverse group of artists working in the studios to create a lively, supportive and dynamic working environment. We aim to foster the exchange of ideas and experiences amongst artists, who work across different fields of art. The artists are encouraged to develop their work at their own pace and interpret the studio term from their own perspective.

It is a great feeling to announce the completion of 10 years of Space118 – a venue that has been home to over 300 artists from all over the world. In addition, the Space has organised over 65 art-related workshops and 30 public events. Along the years, what started as only a studio space for the artists, turned into a residency space where we supported some folk-art residencies like those of Warli and Kalighat artists like Kalam Patua as well as international residencies in the case of Kooshk residency from Iran, and Conseil des arts et des lettres from Quebec. The Space has encouraged new ideas and documentation. In fact, the neighbourhood too has served as a research repository for Sarovar Zaidi on the Shia Muslims of Byculla, Umerkhadi, Mazagaon and Nagpada; and Ali Akbar Mehta’s extensive photo documentation of the Mazagaon and Byculla area, still reminiscent of its rich Jewish history. Performances of Inder Salim, Shrikant Puranik and Mansi Bhatt at our Open Studio Days, have garnered a lot of interest and we also published a book, ‘Stop making sense’ by Himanshu S. to contribute towards the critical writing in the arts.

About Sakshi Gallery

Sakshi Gallery is one of the premier galleries of India. Since its inception in 1984, it has worked closely with important Indian and international artists as well as introduced many emerging ones. It has held exhibitions of Indian art in Taipei, New York, London, Berlin, Singapore and Hong Kong; and has introduced to the Indian audience work of illustrious international artists like El Anatsui, Gregory Crewdson and Julian Opie, amongst others.

The gallery mounted a major exhibition of African art, curated by Bisi Silva in Mumbai in 2009 and showed artists from Taiwan, Japan, Iran, Turkey and Indonesia in a show curated by Andre Lee in 2010. In 2011, Maya Kovskaya curated an important exhibition bringing together artists from Iran, China, USA and India. The gallery also presented a major work by Chen Chieh-Jen at Art Basel Basel in its Feature section. Sakshi Gallery curated an exhibition of Indian Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei in 2010 and most recently supported a show curated by Meena Vari at National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai. Sakshi Gallery is based in Mumbai and in the past, has also had spaces in Chennai, Bangalore and Taipei.

For further information, please contact:

Riddhi Vora | space118studios@gmail.com | 9820098755, Sanyogita Deo | office@sakshigallery.com | 022 22823025