“The Monument(less) Scape: The Praxis of Neglect,” a multimedia exhibit by Shaurya Kumar will be on display in the Overbook Art Gallery from March 10 through April 25.
An assistant professor of print media at The School of Art Institute of Chicago, Kumar will be on campus Monday, April 14, for an artist’s reception at 6 p.m. in the Overbrook lobby. He will lecture on his work at 6:30 p.m. in Stevenson Center Room 1100. All events are free and open to the public.
“Monument(less) Scape: The Praxis of Neglect” presents the idea of marginalization of history in contemporary societies. In this multimedia exhibition, the artist reflects on how our past that was once our identity and a matter of pride, is getting increasingly obviated, mutilated, sometimes entirely lost or pushed to the extreme fringes of rapidly urbanizing societies.
These works offer a glimpse into the fate of relics that have succumbed to harsh natural elements, passage of time, and blows of human neglect. With no evidence remaining of their existence or a hope of revival and restitution, they exist in shadows – dark, fractured, and almost annihilated. Shaurya Kumar’s works depict this “obliteration, erasure and amnesia” that has become a reality of the new normal we live in.
Since 2001, Kumar, a native of India, has been involved in numerous prestigious research projects, including “The Paintings of India,” a series of 26 documentary films on the painting tradition of India; "Handmade in India," an encyclopedia on the handicraft traditions of India; and digital restorations of 6th century Buddhist mural paintings from the caves of Ajanta.
Kumar’s research is focused on creating works which appreciate and appropriate new media while highlighting the dangers of its longevity and the disconnect between the virtual and the real. His work is an investigation of art and technology, and the rift that lies between. Ultimately, his work is a dialogue about site, how site effects and affects data and therefore a society, a culture, a people and ultimately a person.
His work has been showcased in numerous national and international exhibitions across the U.S., Asia, Europe and Australia. His works have been installed at many venues, including the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, formerly the Victoria & Albert Museum in Mumbai; UNM Art Museum, Albuquerque; SCA Contemporary, Albuquerque; Queens Museum, NYC; Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul; Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai; New Art Center, NYC; Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Fine Arts, Georgia; Schneider Museum of Art, Oregon; and the Charleston Heights Art Center, Las Vegas.
Kumar, who currently lives in Chicago, studied printmaking and painting at the University of Delhi and earned an MFA from the University of Tennessee.