Latitude 28

Art exists in a dynamic dialogue with the world it inhabits—a landscape ever-changing, layered with histories, and charged with urgent ecological, social, and existential questions. In a world marked by rapid socio-political and technological shifts, South Asia’s contemporary art emerges as a profound response to the forces shaping and fragmenting our shared realities. ‘Contours of Contemporary’ charts a diverse spectrum of artistic voices that confront the fragility of boundaries—between nature and humanity, tradition and innovation, the self and the collective.  

This exhibition explores how artists navigate the intersections of identity, history, and materiality. By engaging with issues such as urbanization, environmental fragility, migration, and cultural loss, these artists situate themselves within broader questions of belonging and transformation. The show emphasizes how contemporary South Asian artists move beyond the lens of colonial art history, instead crafting alternative narratives that mirror the complex contours of modern life in the region.

Artists like Aninda Singh and Pratul Dash probe humanity’s troubled relationship with nature, presenting visual metaphors for ecological crises. Others, like Sudipta Das and Chandan Bez Baruah, explore displacement and cultural memory through materials steeped in fragility and nostalgia. Meanwhile, the works of Harisha Chennangod evoke the tension between structure and chaos, negotiating spaces of change and resistance.  

The exhibition also highlights a resurgence of traditional forms reinvigorated by new idioms. Chetan Solanki’s use of natural pigments and miniature-inspired practices, alongside Sanket Viramgami’s reimagined mythologies, subvert established paradigms while reaffirming the value of cultural heritage in contemporary contexts. While Yogesh Ramakrishna uses humor and drama to critique socio-political paradigms. Thus, each work becomes a fragment in the mosaic of contemporary human experience. The use of unconventional mediums—resin, natural pigments, or even digital prints on matchboxes—demonstrates the unbounded creativity of this collective, each artist pushing their chosen medium to its expressive limits. 

Ultimately, ‘Contours of Contemporary’ delves into the shifting aspirations and anxieties of our times. It interrogates how artists confront the values of their societies while fostering critical reflections on humanity’s role within precarious ecosystems and fractured histories. The exhibition is a contemplation on “contours”—the boundaries we trace and the spaces we inhabit, whether physical, emotional, or conceptual. By traversing these contours, the works prompt a collective inquiry into the connections and disconnections of our contemporary moment, urging viewers to reimagine relationships with themselves, others, and the world.  

LATITUDE 28 forays this exhibition as a challenge to assumptions and fosters a deeper engagement with the dynamic and ever-evolving narratives of South Asian art. By mirroring these transformative waves of culture and history, the exhibition becomes a space for inquiry and engagement. It invites viewers to reflect on the contours of their own lives as they traverse the layered, evocative works on display.