Gujarat’s leading contemporary art spaces, 079 | STORIES and Gallery Ark, come together for a collaborative exhibition showcasing the work of British-born artist Alexander Gorlizki and Indian artist Santana Gohain The exhibition titled Travelling Narratives will open to the public on 11 March and will be on view till 9 April at 079 | STORIES, Ahmedabad
Exhibition view of Travelling Narratives; far corner - City Lights, arm chair sculpture by Alexander Gorlizki; left and right - paintings by Santana Gohain; Images courtesy 079 | STORIES 10 March, 2021: As their first collaborative exhibition, two of Gujarat’s leading art spaces 079 | STORIES, Ahmedabad and Gallery Ark, Vadodara, are set to open Travelling Narratives, a stunning exhibition of art showcasing the work of artists Alexander Gorlizki and Santana Gohain. Both artists have previously exhibited at Gallery Ark, with solo shows in February 2020 and October 2019 respectively. The month-long exhibition is set to open to the public at 079 | STORIES on Thursday, 11 March. The galleries have planned a series of curated walkthroughs and virtual events during the course of the exhibition.
Travelling Narratives brings together the works of two compelling art practices, which appear to be very different in style, and seem to meet in a conversation on their unique exploration of materials and narratives. The suite of artworks presented in this exhibition is a celebration of their distinct perspectives and the unique expression of this. The expansive gallery space of 079 | STORIES has been designed to create two distinct spaces for the artists, creating a sense of immersive experience into the creative worlds of each artist.
Images from L-R: Invisible Presence series by Santana Gohain; Detail view of Pattern Farmer’s Table by Alexander Gorlizki; Images courtesy 079 | STORIES In the lead up to the opening of the exhibition, 079 | STORIES founder Purva Damani says: “It has been a wonderful experience to bring a show like Travelling Narratives to life in tandem with Gallery Ark. We share a common passion for platforming high caliber contemporary art and given we are in sister cities with a growing appetite for art, I would say this collaboration was in the making for a while.” Adding to Ms. Damania’s sentiment, Gallery Ark Director Nupur Dalmia says - “Gallery Ark is incredibly excited to be presenting the first of what I hope will be many collaborative, satellite shows down the line. I do believe the future of contemporary art lies in exploring synergies and collaboration over competition. We are delighted to be able to reach out to our neighbours in Ahmedabad, and with the support and energy of Purva and her team at 079 | STORIES, this promises to be an exciting show.”
About the Artists:
Alexander Gorlizki:
British-born, New York-based Alexander Gorlizki’s art practice is a cross-cultural conversation with fabulous flights of fantasy. The artist builds his unique world of imagery in collaboration with the Jaipur-based Master Artist Riyaz Uddin, whom Gorlizki has worked with for over 25 years and shares a close friendship with. The paintings, textiles, sculptures and installations of Alexander Gorlizki’s imagination weave together traditional miniature painting styles with product and textile design, creating a sense of universe unto itself. Each work of art carries the artist's tongue-in-cheek response to the theatre of impeccably curated "intimate spaces" that make their way onto the pages of glossy lifestyle magazines. He uses the drama of these "designer" mise en scene to create a world of fantasy that
bursts forth from the boundaries of paintings, onto walls, textiles and sculptural objects. The end result is a heady experience of a whimsical world of stories and allegory, as imagined by the artist.
The artist most recently exhibited in a solo exhibition titled Otherworldly Interiors at Gallery Ark, in February 2020.
2. Santana Gohain
Santana Gohain’s art practice is rooted in a deep exploration of texture and materiality. She plays with medium, technique and tools in the multiple layers of paint on paper to create beguiling textures that become her artworks. What starts as a fragile construction on paper comes to resemble stark metal, finely woven fabric, or runes in some ancient language. Like layers of sediment that eventually form a rock, Santana’s paintings evolve into vast landscapes of texture that at once feel familiar, but also compel the viewer to think about how they came to be, and of their unnatural construction, which in fact comments on the fundamental nature of evolution and passage of time. In effect, they are a distinctly sensory experience for the viewer.
Most recently, Santana had a solo exhibition titled Echoes of Silence at Gallery Ark in October 2019.
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