The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art’s (KNMA) exhibition titled “Very Small Feelings” (VSF) has made its way to India after being showcased at the sixth Dhaka Art Summit in Bangladesh in February. The exhibition features over 40 projects encompassing a diverse range of artworks, including new commissions, historical works, performances, books, archives, and various landscapes.
As the fourth instalment of the multi-part, long-term program called Young Artists of Our Times, which is a collaboration between KNMA and the Samdani Art Foundation in Dhaka, the exhibition aims to evoke the inner child within us and forge a strong connection to it. The artworks presented in VSF explore different mediums and forms of expression. Notable contributions include a new commission by Mumbai-based architect duo Rupali Gupte and Prasad Shetty, a participatory performance by Bangladeshi artist Yasmin Jahan Nupur, and a series of works by Berlin-based artist Simon Fujiwara centred around his character named Who the Baer.
The curation of “Very Small Feelings” is a result of the collaborative efforts of curators Akansha Rastogi and Diana Campbell, bringing together two prominent institutions in South Asia: the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and the Samdani Art Foundation. According to Roobina Karode, the chief curator of KNMA, the exhibition provides a space for action, emotion, exploration, and reflection through artworks of diverse scales, materials, and content.
One notable collaboration within the exhibition is the presentation of renowned author Amitav Ghosh’s “Jungle Nama,” an adaptation of a legend from the Sundarbans, which explores themes of nature, human boundaries, and balance. The adaptation will be brought to life through an audio-visual presentation in collaboration with Salman Toor and Ali Sethi. Additionally, Ghosh will deliver a talk at KNMA on July 14, discussing climate emergencies as depicted in folklore and legends, as well as the relationship between people and their environments.
The exhibition also features a video work by artist Lapdiang Sylem, based in Shillong, which connects India and Bangladesh through the folklore of the Khasi hill tribes. Another presentation by the Anga Art Collective focuses on the memories of village elders in western Assam, near the Bangladesh border, who were compelled to leave their homes due to erosion caused by the Bramhaputra River.
The artworks in “Very Small Feelings” emphasise the close ties between Bangladesh and East and Northeast India, encompassing shared borders, language, stories, and climate challenges. The exhibition celebrates the power of oral storytelling and highlights the transformative nature of narratives as they evolve with each retelling, engaging the entire being with emotions, feelings, and intellect.
Among the exhibition’s highlights is a newly commissioned project by artist Nidhi Khurana, who will be an artist-in-residence within the exhibition space. Khurana will respond to the writings and curriculum created by modernist master Devi Prasad, who served as an artist-educator.
The “Very Small Feelings” exhibition will run until September 23, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with the diverse and thought-provoking artworks on display at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.
Feature Image: Amitav Ghosh, Salman Toor, and Ali Sethi Jungle Nama, 2021 A book and audiobook imagined as an installation with scenography by GOLEM, 2023 Courtesy of artists and Harper Collins India. Courtesy: KNMA
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