Arboretum 24 - Platanus Orientalis_3.5’ x 7’_2024
Nature Morte presents Arboretum - Ebb and Flow, a new collection of paintings by Thukral & Tagra that respond to the relationship between the real and the digital world. Departing from the premise of the Arboretum that emerged during the pandemic, this second edition engages with the cultural history of trees. From Kashmir to Japan, Arboretum - Ebb and Flow maps the recent journeys of the artist-duo through hyper-realistic and intensely detailed painterly effects and unconventional shapes of the canvas.
Reflecting on this multi-year journey, they note, 'The cycle of the Arboretum has shifted within us. From being sites of contemplation, we started seeing trees as cultural artifacts that witness the social and political transitions of the world. The works in this exhibition draw inspiration from diverse landscapes, relaying stories on conflict, grounding the self, and the idea of home. The chinar trees of Kashmir, the peaceful landscapes of Japan, and the sense of belonging in Gurgaon (where we live) seeped into the creation of this series. This exhibition is a process of retelling stories through the trees that stay in us.'
Arboretum 25 Quercus A 2024 3x7
About Thukral & Tagra
Thukral & Tagra are a Delhi-based artist duo comprising of Jiten Thukral (b. 1976, Jalandhar, Punjab) and Sumir Tagra (b. 1979, New Delhi). Driven by the artistic methodologies of painting, gaming, archiving, and publishing, their multifaceted studio practice reflects the scope of engagement in the cultural and political landscape of India and the world. While their early career work dealt with the intricacies of consumer culture globally, their recent interest in ecology and climate change is a revisiting of their family histories of migration and farming in the Indian state of Punjab.
Through and beyond their studio practice, Thukral & Tagra create new formats of public engagement and attempt to expand the threshold of what art can do. These also include the non-profit Foundation that addresses ongoing social issues through education and art, their collaborative learning lab Pollinator that fosters cross-pollinations across creative fields, and the new publishing and distribution platform andArchive that reconfigures the potential of the print and the archive. Further, their immersive and multi-modal sensory installations offer seamless accessibility to audiences from varied backgrounds and approaches, breaking through the spectatorial protocols of 'high art.'
A solo show of their paintings Arboretum will open at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, USA on September 26th, and they will curate the visual arts section at the upcoming edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa in December of this year. This exhibition will take place at Nature Morte’s Mumbai gallery, located on the 3rd floor of Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM and is closed on Sundays.
Words Platform Desk
Date 29.08.2024