Artist Divesh Gadekar's latest solo exhibition is centered around the changing face of Goa's landscape over the years
Gomantak Times
For creative souls, inspiration can come from anywhere because an artist is a product of his/her surroundings. This is the feeling one might get after looking at the exhibition of the multi-disciplinary artist, Divesh Gadekar, titled, ‘Maati —morphing landscape’ to be held at Sadhana Dell Arte, Merces.
His artworks revolve around the land, its people, culture, history—both visually and orally. In his paintings, he has used soil in watercolour works. His paintings speak of environmental degradation, changing landscapes, etc. It is a strong comment on the land, or the place, of our origin.
“The medium, here, becomes a metaphor for the endless acts of intrusion that human beings place upon the earth. Geo-political conflicts, unmitigated industrialization, people’s ignorance and apathy, and a feeling of helplessness in grasping a time gone by, all feed into his works, as he creates an experiential framework for viewers to enter into,” says Lina Vincent, curator of the exhibition.
'Bell of Belonging' is one of the artworks at Divesh Gadekar’s exhibition, ‘MAATI – Morphing Landscapes’
Arti Das
He also likes to express himself with sound as he was constantly exposed to various forms of music and sound and playing instruments. The exhibition showcases musical instruments, wherein he makes a larger comment about them. It is also a reflection of his background as he was always exposed to temple sounds and music while growing up around the Mahalaxmi temple, of Panjim.
He says, “As a percussionist, I used to collect musical instruments starting from local traditional instruments, and then slowly, my collection took a wider perspective and took the form of serious research. That delved into documenting, and reviving, instruments that are folk and traditional, but also contemporary or experimental. I also engage in exploring ritual performances related to particular instruments.”
“Through his passionate engagement with sounds and instruments, he has found ways in which to integrate their histories into the wider global concerns he speaks of,” says Vincent of his experiments with sound.
Gadekar now wants to further his artistic journey of exploration along with its relationship with history, aesthetics and experimentation. He says, “I look forward to exploring my artistic practice in a combination of sound, form and visuals in a multi-layered exploration.”
WHERE: Sadhana Dell ‘Arte Art & Culture Centre, Merces
WHEN: Till December 24, 2021
TIMINGS: 11 am to 8 pm