This was the Serpentine’s first effort at presenting a show focused on design rather than art and for me it did so in a way that was symptomatic of many of the problems in contemporary design curation. The idea was to have respected designer Konstantin Grcic select a number of contemporary design objects that are of “real” practical benefit to society (presumably a reaction to the recent prevalence of design art which places aesthetic and sculptural qualities above those of function).
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Chitra Ganesh - Tales of Amnesia detail
The variety in the work on display at this new show at the Saatchi Gallery makes for a rewarding visit and gives an excellent insight into the ideas and personalities that are defining contemporary Indian art. Some of the artists tackle expected themes such as poverty and over-population but there is great diversity in their stylistic influences and approaches to their subject matter; from American comics and neon signs to the work of French painter Henri Rousseau.
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The Ice Bear was a fantastic example of public art being used to effectively communicate an important message. When I first came across the sculpture it was a block of ice being carved on location outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. This happens to be on a regular route of mine and as I passed by a few days later the bear had begun to melt exposing the bronze cast of a skeleton that was hidden inside. Such a concise concept and beautifully executed.
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