Ten-second Takeaway
After a decade as one of Mumbai's favourite contemporary art galleries, Gallery Maskara is shutting down. But we'll enjoy its last hurrah as they kick off their last exhibition on July 14, which will run till September.
Art You Serious?
Yes. We visited the gallery on a Tuesday morning, where we found the last installations still being put together. Since it opened in 2006, Maskara has become one of the city's premier contemporary art exhibition centres.
The cotton warehouse turned art gallery, sandwiched between local grocery stores, is a breath of fresh air with its white walls and high ceilings. We left the gallery feeling calmer, lighter and not bogged down or intimidated, so we recommend this as an experience worth having even if you're new to the art world - or just want a small break from a busy day.
So What's The Art?
The artworks and exhibitions play with light, shadow, ideas of feminine beauty and inflatable dolls to explore the concept of time, which is the theme of the exhibition.
Our favourite is Canadian artist Max Stretcher’s larger-than-life inflatable dolls which are loosely set across the floor and even suspended from the {nearly} 50-feet high ceiling, connected to an air supply which breathes life into them. The dolls can be seen almost imperceptibly rising and falling with each 'breath'.
Another favourite is Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, a painting by artist Meenakshi Gupta. This features the artist's own body hair and is meant to question the norms of feminine beauty we all blindly accept, and create a sense of discomfort in the viewer. We have to say it succeeded on both fronts.
What Else?
We also found works by Narendra Yadav, Parag Sonarghare, Prashant Pandey and T Venkanna {whose installation the gallery owner, Abhay Maskara, finds especially intriguing}, each of which take their own spin on time through different mediums.
Where: Gallery Maskara, No. 6/7, 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba
When: Opening on Thursday, July 14. Ongoing till September {last date remains unknown}
Price: Free entry
Timings: 11am to 7pm, closed on Sundays
Contact: 02222023056
Visit their website here, or check out their Facebook page here.
Photos courtesy: Gallery Maskara
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