The group show, Waiting Room, held at Gallery 21 in Kochi was an exploration of identity as a construct

The curatorial note for Waiting Room, the show curated by Shruti Sainani, on at Gallery 21, Fort Kochi, delved into what constitutes identity, which grapples with time, space, gender and a host of other factors. The curator has tried to present that complex thing called identity through the works of contemporary artists such as Sonal Varshneya Ojha, Piyali Ghosh, Varsha Nair, Ananya Patel, Vivek Vilasini, Monica Rani Rudhar, Maujle Ganguly, PR Satheesh, Arun Edathatt, Malavika Rajnarayan, Ajinkya Patekar, Mahirwan Mamtani, and Abraham George.

As with any group show, this one was a kaleidoscope of artistic expressions — there are paintings and video installations. Each leading to the same conclusion — an exploration of identity. Some of the works demanded the viewer engage, draw their own inferences, while the others guide. And some are confounding, the kind that makes one wonder/question the role of art, whether it is an exercise in narcissism or edifying for the viewer.

The works of Vivek Vilasini’s series Quarantine Suites archival print on Hahnemuhle paper are oddly disturbing and evocative of that time. Malavika Rajnarayan’s works are reminiscent of Indian miniatures with a rider on a flying horse in one, and a woman with a large bird in the other, the bold palette and intricate etchings. Ajinkya Patekar’s Balloon Seller, Crimson Bloom and Radiant Mutation (all oil on canvas) are bold, bright, uninhibited and perhaps the closest to the theme as are Sonal Varshneya Ojha’s etchings, Mann ki baat and Emoticons. The most stirring are Germany-based painter, graphic and multi-media artist Mahirwan Mamtani’s works from the 1970s - the mandala and/or tantra-inspired Centrovision series.

The show concluded on July 15.