This year in the arts: Moments that we will remember for a long time to come

As we begin counting down to the New Year, it’s appropriate to cast a glance back at the bygone year as well. Bhumika Popli writes about the biggest events, controversies and breakthroughs that unfolded in the Indian art scene in 2018.

Verma, was also an excellent fiction writer and was a regular contributor to Hindi language publications before he became a full-time painter.

Reports of another death arrived as recently as 18 December. Artist Tushar Joag suffered a heart attack at his Noida residence. He was 52. Joag called himself a “public intervention artist” and redefined the role of the arts as a tool to bring about social change.

Born in Bombay in 1966, Joag was a product of Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai and Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. He made great contributions to Indian arts, and was also known for establishing the art department at the Shiv Nadar University along with his wife, Sharmila Samant. Joag recently set up a forum called Artists Unite, which on 17 December, issued a declaration signed by 450 artists. It stated, “We will fight hate with love. We will counter violence with peace. Through our images, speech, words, music and bodies we will resist the cultural destruction of India.”

On Joag’s sad demise, the art critic Ranjit Hoskote tweeted, “Absolutely shocked to hear of the sudden death, this morning, of Tushar Joag, artist and activist, at 52. So many memories: his work at Pundole and Lakeeren in the 1990s; his marvellous drawings, sharp political critique; his initiative, the ‘Save Chandramohan’ campaign in 2007.” Long overdue One of the defining phases of this past year was the long overdue #MeToo shake-up that brought the Indian art community out of its stupor. Cases of sexual abuse and harassment in the art circuit have been common. Yet they were spoken of in hushed tones, until some of the stories got viral on social media earlier this year. Several high-profile Indian artists were named on the Instagram account “Scene and Herd”, where a number of victims shared their disturbing experiences anonymously. No price too big Renowned Indian artist Tyeb Mehta’s painting entitled Durga Mahisasura Mardi- ni fetched a record sum at an art auction held in Mumbai on 29 November. The painting sold for Rs 20.49 crore. The sale, titled “Boundless: India”, was conducted by Sotheby’s. According to their statement, “The painting had remained in the same private collection ever since it was commissioned directly from the artist in 1993.” Gender balance A commendable step was taken by the Kochi Biennale Foundation this year by appointing artist Anita Dube as the curator of the event, the first woman to take up this role. In a speech delivered at a Delhi event, Dube talked her vision. “The need to listen, think and learn with each other, particularly voices from the margins—of women, of the queer community, of the oppressed castes, of the whispers of nature—with a spirit of comradeship, is vital.” Our common world A breakthrough exhibition, entitled India and the World: A History in Nine Stories, opened at Delhi’s National Museum in May this year. A range of art ob- jects from across the world were displayed at the show, whose theme was how global history is interconnected. Jeremy Hill was the co-curator of the show. The objects showcased here together encapsulated two million years of history. They were taken from Indian and British museums, and from private collectors. Rembrandt’s drawing of Emperor Jehangir was also displayed here. Man and machine: Technology, too, left its mark on the landscape of art in 2018. Artificial intelligence became a buzzword in galleries. Gradient Descent, an exhibition hosted by Nature Morte gallery in Delhi, included AI-inspired works by artists from around the world. Man and machine collaborated for this show. The idea was to explore the intersections between art and technology, which is becoming quite the trend internationally. On 25 October, the leading auction house Christie’s sold Portrait of Edmond Belamy, created through AI, for $432,500 in New York.