Celebrating 63 years of NGMA treasures
The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, (NGMA) is organising an exhibition entitled ‘Itihaas’ on March 29 in conjunction with the 63rd Foundation Day of National Gallery of Modern Art. The exhibition which will be inaugurated by Minister for Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma on the same day at 7 pm, showcases works of art by 22 sculptors from the prestigious collection of National Gallery of Modern Art. “Sculptures, paintings and drawings picked out of the treasure trove of 6 decades encompass everyone, of whatever background or status, this NGMA collection distills the loftiest truths of India’s artistic forays into simple, modernist creations that enrich the mind and inform the affairs of art journeys. The auspicious demeanor and distinguished provenance of 22 sculptors offer aesthetic and historical satisfactions in this modern millennium. The NGMA Archives is an endless contemplation of the human condition,” says Uma Nair, Scholar and Critic. “Itihaas is an in-house curated exhibition that celebrates the foundation day of India’s premier institution dedicated to visual arts. The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) was inaugurated on March 29, 1954 by the then Vice-president, Dr S Radhakrishnan. Since then, Jaipur House has been the home to NGMA. The choice of Jaipur House, one of the premier edifices of Lutyens’ Delhi, signified the envisaged high profile of the institution. All the prominent sculptors of the time, like, Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury, Ramkinkar Baij, Sankho Chaudhuri, Dhanraj Bhagat, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury and other eminent artists had participated in the inauguration of the building and showcased an exhibition of contemporary Indian sculpture.”
“This exhibition which begins from March 30, features sculptures along with paintings and drawings are some of the
most memorable works of art showcased in the old gallery spaces which is a fitting way to celebrate the legacy of our modern masters. This exhibition is indeed a rare opportunity to view celebrated sculptures and gain insight to artists’ creative genius,” says Pradeep Kumar, Director, NGMA. He further added, “I thank the Ministry of Culture, Government of India for supporting our endevours and the Advisory Committee of NGMA for their unstinted support.”