2010 begins in earnest at the Saatchi Gallery with the opening of The Empire Strikes Back - Indian Art Today. Kate Weir lets you know what to expect.
Is Charles Saatchi secretly a lightsabre-wielding Star Wars fan? The name of the Saatchi Gallery’s new exhibition The Empire Strikes Back would seem to be every cultured nerd’s dream come true, and it would certainly explain his reclusive nature – perhaps he’s just kicking back with Wii Lego Star Wars whilst Nigella whips up some snacks.
Sadly this isn’t the case. The show is in fact a slightly puntastic name for an exhibition of astonishing contemporary art from India featuring a wide range of artists, some of whom have never exhibited in the UK before.
Following the Saatchi Gallery’s run of contemporary Middle Eastern and Chinese art, this exhibition is a snapshot of a complex, colourful and troubled country; with artists examining the repercussions of their epic and violent past in a manner that eloquently reflects the confident voice of a 21st Century India.
With religion in myriad forms, sexual equality, politics, caste systems, economic crises and colonisation all jostling around together, these artists are pushing beyond the conception of Indian art as decorative henna pieces and charging boldly towards controversy – from Chitra Ganesh’s comicbook works to Huma Mulji’s animal-skin sculptures.
With some of the poorest people in the world and the richest culture, this exhibition shows how far India has come in reforming its national identity. This is the Saatchi Gallery at its best, bringing an oft-overlooked aesthetic to a mainstream audience and opening our eyes just that little bit wider.
'Empire Strikes back - Indian Art Today' is at the Saatchi Gallery from 29th January - 7th May 2010.
Image credit: Jitish Kallat, Public Notice 2, 2007, 4,479 fibreglass sculptures, dimensions variable.
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