Since April, La Monnaie de Paris is presenting the first retrospective show in France of the Indian contemporary artist, Subodh Gupta. He sees this exhibition as a place to trigger discussions, exchanges, and debates just like the Hindu concept “ Adda”. Now 54, Gupta lives and works in Delhi and has trained as a painter before going on to work with a variety of media including painting, performance, video, sculpture as well as photography.
The exhibition features iconic sculptures using stainless steels pots and pans for which Gupta is well known and cast found objects. We can clearly identify the artist’s continuous exploration of ritual and spirituality in everyday life. As the kitchen is the center of every Indian household, Gupta’s practice is also grounded in the daily pantry and it is from here that he reflects on not only personal and communal practices but also on how often intimate and seemingly insignificant objects and experiences can offer a glimpse into the cosmos at large.
The exhibition “Adda / Rendez-Vous” takes place in the historical salons of La Monnaie de Paris and also extends up the main stairway and continues in the inner courtyard with a huge sculpture conceived especially for this retrospective. Mainly known for working with everyday objects that are ubiquitous throughout India such as mass-produced stainless steel utensils, bicycles, and milk pails, Subodh Gupta produced works that reflect on universal issues including migration and globalization.
