Interspace, Water colour on paper, 2021, By Bholanath Rudra
Monica Jain is the Curator-Director of Art Centrix Space. The essence of the gallery is reflected in the way she engages with art, people and the world. Her seeking spirit explores ideas as diverse as mathematics, quantum physics, culture and mythology through the shows she curates to make every exhibition and experience at Art Centrix Space extraordinary. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from College of Art, New Delhi and a Master of Arts in Art History from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi. As an artist, she has also trained under renowned sculptor KS Radhakrishnan to work in wax and bronze, and loves the spontaneity of watercolours. Being always hands-on has helped her tremendously in understanding the nuances of her field of work. She is committed to upholding the family legacy of sixty years of supporting the arts. Monica is intuitively drawn to the power of organising art, to seeing spaces and knowing exactly how art would fit into it; thereby giving her a unique advantage in both residential and public art projects she undertakes.
Monica briefly talks about Art Centrix Space's upcoming exhibition Brink and further unfolds her curatorial process.
To begin with can you tell us a little about your relationship with art ?
To me, it is as natural as breathing. As a child I constantly painted, sculpted. I went on to study at the College of Art and then completed a Masters at the National Museum Institute, New Delhi, where my mentor was Roobina Kharode, the current director of KNMA. I grew up amidst art and culture even as I watched my uncle, Padma Shri OP Jain collect, promote and talk about art all the time. It is a relationship I am happy to never want to get out of !
What inspired Brink at Art Centrix Space?
Brink is a very important exhibition on many levels since it developed as a response to the challenges humanity has collectively faced in the past two years. The curatorial idea of Brink navigates thoughts generated from a phenomenological space through different artistic questions, practices and imaginations. It foregrounds the idea of the artist being a harbinger of change, that in fact, each one of us is capable of bringing about change, a paradigm shift in our circumstance, our future, not singularly but collectively. It is a show of hope.
Can you talk about your curatorial process?
For me, the curatorial process is a very special space for the dialogues and collaborations with the artists through which remarkable shifts, impossibilities even, can be achieved in the artistic domain. Curation has been a very integral part of my vision, which allows me to open new spaces of accessibility and multiply support networks for artists and their thoughts.
Since the time you started your relationship with art, what has been your biggest learning?
That the attitude to and of art is ever-changing, as it should be! The eco-system of the art world has been growing with an accelerated pace over the past five years and there are constantly new methods and possibilities of thinking and approach. If one wants to remain relevant, one should not limit experimentation and ideation!
Any piece of advice you would like to give young collectors?
Each one of us has an intrinsic discerning eye and a value for culture, whether modern or contemporary. My advice to young collectors would be to initiate from somewhere. Start with something small, with few. Collecting can open a new facet of their personality, that of becoming influencers in art. I know it is hard to imagine when you’re just starting out, but any collector in the world, even five decades ago, began this way. Today, they are known as doyens of art, perhaps known equally for their discerning eye and their courage as much as their own profession or place in life.
Lastly, what kind of art are you drawn towards?
Art is like love. I know it sounds poetic, but there are no definitions, no boundaries to what one may be drawn towards. Over the years, I’ve seen the works of so many artists and I am drawn to just far too many. All I can say is this, there is just something in it that touches a chord within and no matter how many years I’ve had it with me, it never ceases to do that. Professionally, it won’t be fair for me to influence anyone reading this.
Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani
Date 07-03-2022