Vivan Sundaram's Home Page

Nature Morte, New Delhi, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney, Australia
'Big River', International Artists Workshop, Carribean Contemporary Arts, National Museum & Art Gallery, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Illustrated catalogue
'Volume & Form', Singapore, Illustrated Catalogue
'Edge of the Century', curator: Amit Mukhopadhyaya, Nature Morte, New Delhi, Illustrated catalogue
1998
'Private Mythology: Contemporary Art from India', curator: Akira Tatahata, Japan Foundation, Asia Centre, Tokyo. Illustrated catalogue
'World Wide Video Festival', Amsterdam, curator of the Indian section: Johan Pijnapple, Illustrated catalogue
'The Presence of the Past', curator: Girish Shahane, Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, NCPA, Bombay, Illustrated catalogue
'Face to Face', Baroda Alumni Antists of Delhi, Rabindra Bhavan Gallery, New Delhi, Illustrated catalogue
'Artists for a Sustainable World', Gallery Chemould, Bombay
'Inaugural Show', Sakshi Gallery, Bombay
1997
'Trade Routes; History and Geography', Second Johannesburg Biennale, section: 'Alternating Currents', curator: Okwui Enzewor an Octavia Zaya, Johannesburg, South Africa, Illustrated catalogue
'Mapping the Earth', Second Kwangju Biennale, section: 'Power', curator: Sung Wan-Kyun, Kwangju, South Korea, Illustrated catalogue
'The Individual and Memory', Sixth Havana Biennale, Cuba, Illustrated catalogue.
'Out of India: Contemporary Art of the South Asian Diaspora', curator: Jane Farver, Queens Museum of Art, New York State, Illustrated catalogue.
'Five Decades of Modern Art from India, 1947-1997', CIMA and Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, Illustrated catalogue
'Being Minorities', curator: Oscar Ho, Asian artists at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong.
'Right to Hope', curator: Catherine Thick, Belfast, Northern Ireland and Sarajevo. (Traveling exhibition since 1995). Illustrated catalogue
'Post Independence Contemporary Indian Art', National Gallery of Modern Art and Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi. Illustrated book
'Colours of Independence', National Gallery of Modern Art and CIMA, New Delhi.
'Major Trends in Indian Art since 1947', curator: Rm. Palaniappan, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
'Homage to Antoin Artaud', curator: Marie Delpech, Eicher Gallery, New Delhi, Illustrated catalogue.
'The Looking Glass Self', Lakeeren Gallery, Bombay. Illustrated catalogue.
'Nature Morte', Inaugural exhibition, artists from India, Europe and the United States of America, Habitat Centre, New Delhi
'Gift for India', curators: Vivan Sundaram, Shamshad, Ram Rahman, SAHMAT, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi and Gallery Chemould, Max Mueller Bhavan and Artists Centre, Bombay, Illustrated catalogue
1996
'The Second Asia- Paciflc Triennial of Contemporary Art', Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, curators: Kamala Kapoor and Victoria Lyn, Illustrated Catalogue
'The Sixth Bharat Bhavan Biennal of Contemporary Arts', Bhopal. Illustrated catalogue
'The Pastel', curator: Prayag Shukla,Gallery Art Motif, New Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
'Uday Shankar Festival of Ants', curators: Anita Dube, Prithpal Singh, Sehdev Ladi, Sahitya Kala Parishad, Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. Catalogue
1995
'Resource Art - A New Look at the Elements', Max Mueller Bhavan, Madras
'Art and Nature', International Workshop and Exhibition sponsored by Lalit Kala Akademi, Japan Foundation and Max Mueller Bhavan at Buddha Jayanti Park, Delhi, Illustrated catalogue
'Configura-2': Dialogue of Cultures', Erfurt. Germany
'Bombay' RPG Enterprises, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay
'The Right to Hope: One World Art', Johannesberg Art Gallery Johannesberg, South Africa
'A Homage: 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi', LTG Art Gallery, New Delhi
'Postcards for Gandhi', A SAHMAT Exhibition,Vadhera Art Gallery, Delhi; Pundole Art Gallery, Bombay; Gallerie 88, Calcutta; Alliance Francaise, Madras; Sakshi Gallery, Bangalore; Contemporary Art Gallery, Ahmedabad
'Watercolours: A Broader Spectrum-II: Acts of Painting: Acts of Play', Gallery Chemould, Bombay
'A Tree in my Life', Village Gallery, New Delhi, Illustrated catalogue
1994
'Hundred Years: From the NGMA Collection', curator: Geeta Kapur, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
'Drawing '94', AIFACS, curator: Prayag Shukla for Gallery Espace, New Delhi, Illustrated catalogue
'For Childrens' Sake', Mobile Creches, The India Habitat Centre, NewDelhi. Illustrated catalogue
1993
'Critical Difference: Contemporary Art from India' curator: David Thorp. An Aberstwyth Art Centre touring exhibition in collaboration with The Showroom, London; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff; Aberstwyth Arts Centre; Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno; Camden Arts Centre, London; Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool; Huddersfield City Art Gallery, Illustrated Catalogue
'Riverscape', Four International Artist Residencies: Takashi Ikezawa (Japan), Hanna Luczak (Poland), Graham Crowley (UK) and Vivan Sundaram (India), River Tees, Cleveland, UK, Cleveland Gallery and Middlesborough Art Gallery, Illustrated catalogue
'Still-Life', Sakshi Gallery Bombay
1992
'Contemporary Indian Art', Bangladesh Shilpa Kala Academy Dhaka, curator: Jogen Choudhary, Illustrated catalogue
'Journeys within Landscapes', Sakshi Gallery at Jehangir Art Gallery Bombay Illustrated catalogue
'Pioneers to the New Generation', Arts Acre, Calcutta 'Silver Jubilee Exhibition: Artists from Northern India', Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta
Special Invitee to Kerala State Lalit Kala Akedemi
1991
The Fourth Biennale, Havana, Illustrated catalogue
'Artists against Communalism: Words and Images', curators: Vivan Sundaram, Ram Rahman, Shamshad, SAHMAT, Delhi and 15 other cities in India
1990
'Splash: Images on Glass' with Bhupen Khakhar and Nalini Malani, Gallery Chemould, Bombay Illustrated catalogue.
'Homage to Nelson Mandela', LTG Art Gallery Delhi
'Art Mosaic', Calcutta, Illustrated catalogue
'Ambassador's Choice', Kingdom of Netherlands, curator: Eggie Schoo, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Catalogue
1989
'Timeless Art ' Victoria Terminus Railway Station, Bombay Art auction by Sotheby's of London for 150 years of The Times of India, Bombay Illustrated catalogue
'Artists Alert', Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi and auction for Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) New Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
Glass mural at Shah House, Bombay collectively done with Bhupen Khakhar and Nalini Malani
1988
25 Years: Anniversary Show, Gallery Chemould, Bombay Illustrated catalogue
International Festival of Art, Baghdad (Awarded Gold Medal). Illustrated catalogue
'Art for CRY', Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Bangalore. Illustrated catalogue
1987
The Second Biennale, Havana. Illustrated catalogue
'Coups de Coeur', Halle Sud, Geneve, Illustrated catalogue
Help Age Auction, Christies, Taj Hotel, Bombay Illustrated catalogue
1986
Asian Art Show, Seoul. Illustrated catalogue
The Second Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Museum. Illustrated catalogue
1984
The Fifeteenth International Art Exhibition, Tokyo Biennale. Illustrated catalogue
1982
'Contemporary Indian Art', curators: Richard Bartholomew, Geeta Kapur, Akbar Padamsee, Festival of India Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London. Illustrated catalogue
'Seven Indian Artists', curator: Vivan Sundaram, Calorie Bollhagen, Worpswede; Kubus, Hannover: Amerika-Haus, Hamburg; Iwalewa-Haus, Bayreuth. Illustrated catalogue
1981
'Place for People', Jehangir Art Gallery Bombay; Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
Inaugural exhibition, Roopankar Museum of Contemporary Art, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. Illustrated catalogue
1978
'Six who declined to show in the Triennale', Kumar Gallery Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
1977
'Pictorial Space', curator: Geeta Kapur, for Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. Illustrated catalogue
1974
'Group Exhibition' Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi
'Indian Painting and Graphics', Poland, curator : Keshav Mallik. Illustrated catalogue
1968
'Young Contemporaries', Royal Academy of Arts, London
1967
'Contemporary Indian Art of India and Iran', Ben and Abby Grey Foundation, New York. Catalogue
Graphic Prints from Slade School, Clare College, Cambridge, UK
1965
'Five Painters', curator: Mansaram, Taj Art Gallery Bombay

Videos by the Artist:

1999
'Structures of Memory', Video, 30 minutes, Producer: External Publicity Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi
1996
'Couples, Photo Album, Vancouver', shown at Bombay International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films
1995
Two 4 minute videos as part of 'The Sher-Gil Archive', installation, Mucsarnok, Budapest
1994
Three 4 minute silent video sequences as part of 'House/Boat' installation, Montreal; shown in World Wide Video festival, 1999
'Couples, Photo Album, Vancouver', 20 minutes, U-matic, A Western Front Media Production, Vancouver

Films/Videos on the Artist

1990
'Vivan Sundaram', directed by Asha Narang Spaak.
'Figures of Thought', directed by Arun Khopkar (on Bhupen Khakhar, Nalini Malani and Vivan Sundaram.)
1993
'Vivan Sundaram', One World Art/The Right to Hope TV series by Iikka Vehkalahti.

Organizational Activities

1997
Conceived project 'Gift for India' as member of exhibition collective, SAHMAT New Delhi
1995
Presented Madhavi Mudgal and her troupe under Kasauli Art Centre, at Kasauli
Conceived project 'Postcards for Gandhi' as member of exhibition collective, SAHMAT; exhibition opened in six cities on 2nd October
1994
Designed tent structure and stage for 'Manas Bana', a tribute to Gandhi, SAHMAT New Delhi
1992
Member of Design Collective for 'Anhad Garje', SAHMAT, New Delhi, 1993. Member of Design Collective for 'Hum Sab Ayodhya', SAHMAT New Delhi
1991
Conceived Project 'Artists Against Communalism: Images and Words', as a member of exhibition collective, SAHMAT New Delhi
Designed sets for theatre production, 'Gora' (based on Tagore's novel), directed by Anuradha Kapur New Delhi
1990
'Janotsav: Mongolpuri', SAHMAT, New Delhi
1989
Founder-member and trustee of Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust.
'Artists Alert' exhibition and auction, SAHMAT, New Delhi
Theatre production, 'Ghar Aur Bahar' directed Anuradha Kapur at Kasauli Art Centre, Kasauli, and Delhi
1988
Artists Camp with young artists of Himachal Pradesh; and national seminar, 'Critique of Contemporary Culture', Kasauli Art Centre, Kasauli
1987
Theatre production, 'Shakuntalam', directed by Prasanna for Ensemble '86, at Kasauli Art Centre, Kasauli
1986
Collaboration with film director, Kumar Shahani, in scripting a film on Amrita Sher-Gil
1985
Exhibition, 'Seven Young Sculptors', Kasauli Art Centre, at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi
1982
Founder-member, editorial board, Journal of Arts and Ideas, New Delhi
1976-84
All-India Artists' Workshops (including participants from U.K., Germany and France) at Kasauli Art Centre, Kasauli
1972
Retrospective exhibition on Amrita Sher-Gil, New Delhi; monograph published by Marg, Bombay
1971
Secretary Ad-hoc Committee for All India Artists' Protest

Selected Bibliography

Exhibition catalogues of the artist with text and illustrations
Great Indian Bazaar, text by Vivan Sundaram, Gallery Chemould, Bombay; Galerie Foundation for Indian artists, Amsterdam; Nature Morte, New Delhi; and Sakshi Gallery, Bangalore, 1999
The Sher-Gil Archive, text by Katalin Keseru, Hungarian Information & Cultural Centre, New Delhi and Gallery Chemould, Bombay, 1996
House/Boat, text titled 'On dislocation' by Marie-Michele Cron, OBORO, Montreal, Canada, 1994
Riverscape, text by R.B.Goel, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Calcutta; Sakshi Gallery, Bombay; and British Council, New Delhi,1994
Map, Monument, Fallen Mortal, by Sacha Craddok, South London Gallery, London, 1994
Memorial: an installation with photographs and sculpture, text titled 'One of those figures then died' by Ashish Rajadhyaksha, AIFACS, New Delhi; and Sakshi Gallery, Bombay, 1993
Collaboration/Combines, Shridarani Gallery, New Delhi and Gallery Chemould, Bombay, 1992
Engine Oil and Charcoal: works on paper, text titled 'Tracking' by Rasna Bhushan, LTG Gallery, New Delhi; and Sakshi Gallery, Madras/Bangalore,1991
Paintings, text titled 'Orchestration' by Nilima Sheikh and text titled 'Stage motifs' by Anuradha Kapur, Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi and Gallery Chemould, Bombay, 1990.
Long Night: drawings in charcoal, text titled 'A conversation': Anil Bhatti and Vivan Sundaram., Rabindra Bhavan Galleries, New Delhi; Gallery Chemould, Bombay, 1990
Journeys, text by Kumkum Sangari, Kala Yatra, Bangalore, 1988
Paintings, text titled 'Jhe present sky' by Kumar Shahani, Rabindra Bhavan Galleries, New Delhi and Jehangir Art Gallery Bombay 1986
Signs of Fire, Dhoomimal Art Gallery; and Gallery Chemould, Bombay 1984
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, text by Geeta Kapur, Rabindra Bhavan Galleries, New Delhi, and iehangir Art Gallery Bombay 1976
Paintings, text by Geeta Kapur, Gallery Chemould, Bombay 1974
The Heights of Maccho Picchu, text by Geeta Kapur, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi; and Gallery Chemould, Calcutta, 1972
Paintings, texts by J. Swaminathan and K.G. Subramanyan (unsigned), Dhoomi Mal Art Gallery New Delhi, 1966

Texts on the artist in art magazines, journals and exhibition catalogues:
Charles Green,' The nervous system', World Art, Issue 18, 1998
Kamala Kapoor, ' Vivan Sundaram', Private mythology: Contemporary
Art from India', Japan Foundation, October, 1998
Pranabranjan Ray 'Installing a memorial', The Art News Magazine of India, Bombay 1998
Peter A. Nagy 'The Sher-Gil Archive', Grand Street, ldentity/62, Grand Street, New York, Fall, 1997
Chaitanya Sambrani, 'Across the Barricades: A project for an alternative museum', The Art News Magazine of India, Bombay April/June,1996
Deepak Ananth, 'Vivan Sundaram : Storm over Asia', Art and Asia
Pacific, Sydney Vol.2, No.1, 1995
John Roberts, 'Indian art, identity and the avant-garde : The sculpture of Vivan Sundaram', Third Text, 27, London, Summer,1994
Madan Gopal Singh, 'The Orientalist; A short note on Vivan Sundaram's work, Journal of Arts and Ideas, New Delhi, Nos. 17-18, June 1989

References to the artist's work in books, art magazines,journals, and exhibition catalogues:
Thomas McEvilley 'Tracking the Indian diaspora', Art in America, October 1995 & Span, March/April,1999
Girish Shahane, 'The responsibilities of artists', The Art News Magazine of India, Bombay 1998
Homi K. Bhabha, 'Homecoming', Art Forum, New York, 1997
Jane Farver, 'Inside and out of India: Contemporary art of South Asian Diaspora', Oueens Museum of Art, New York, December, 1997
Ajay J. Sinha, 'Envisioning the Seventies and the Eighties'
Contemporary Art in Baroda, Editor, GM. Sheikh, Tulika, New Delhi, 1997
Nilima Sheikh,' A Post- Independence Initiative in Art', Contemporary Art in Baroda, Editor, G.M. Sheikh, Tulika, New Delhi, 1997,
Ashish Rajadhyakshya, 'The Last Decade', Contemporary Art in Baroda, Editor, G.M. Sheikh, Tulika, New Delhi, 1997
R.Shiva Kumar, 'Contemporary Indian Art: The Last Fifty Years', Tryst with Destiny CIMA Singapore Art Museum, 1997
Neville Tuli, The Flamed Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting, Heart & Mapin Abmedabad, 1997
Chaitanya Sambrani, Vadhera Art Gallery New New Delhi, 1997,
Ranjit Hoskote,' Negotiations with an Existential Jigsaw: Recent Trends in Indian Art', Major Trends in Indian Art curator; Rm. Palaniappan,
Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1997
Geeta Kapur, ' Dismantling the Norm, Tradtions/Tensions: Contemporary
Art in Asia, Asia Society Galleries, New York, 1996
.R.B.Goel, 'Interface between art and non-art', Lalit Kala
Contemporary 42, New Delhi, 1996
Kamala Kapoor, 'Bombay report: A hectic season', Art of Asia Pacific, No 12, Sydney 1996
Gayatri Sinha, 'Installation art', Lalit Kala Contemporary 41, New Delhi, 1995
Geeta Kapur, ' A Stake in Modernity: A brief History of Contemporary Indian Art', Tradition and Change, Editor, Caroline Turner, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 1993
Deanna Petherbridge, ' The Riverscape project: Art and Regeneration, Cleveland Arts, UK, 1993
K.B. Goel, 'Vivan Sundaram', Critical Difference: Contemporary Art from India, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and The Showroom, London 1993
Lakshmi Lal, Journeys within Landscapes, OSakshi Gallery Bombay 1992
Thomas McEvilley 'Tradewinds and tradition in Indian art, Art Forum, New York, Summer, 1986
Richard Lannoy 'Contemporary Indian art at the R.A.' Art Scribe No.35, London, December, 1982
Ajay J. Sinha, 'Place for People: New Image', Journal of Arts & Ideas, New Delhi, No.1, October- December, 1982
Harsh Prabhu, 'Vivan the Terrible', Ruchikas Quaterly of the Arts, Vol. 1, No.4, New Delhi, March,1980
Geeta Kapur, 'Modern Painting since 1935', The Arts of India, Editor, Basil Gray, Phaidon, Oxford, 1981
G.M. Sheikh, New Contemporaries, Marg Publications, Bombay 1978
Geeta Kapur, Pictorial Space, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1978
Roberta Naik, 'Vivan Sundaram', Design, Bombay August,1966