Centre of International Modern Art to hold series of exhibitions to mark 30th anniversary

Kolkata: The Centre of International Art (CIMA) will mark its 30 years with a series of exhibitions, featuring the works of India's master modernists as well as emerging artists, starting from December 22.

The series of exhibitions have been divided into two parts, spread across six months, and will feature works by some of the greatest Indian artists, including Ganesh Pyne, Arpita Singh, Satyajit Ray, Jogen Chowdhury, Somnath Hore, and Sushen Ghosh.

The first leg of the event will showcase '12 Masters Exhibition', which is further divided into three phases, and the final leg will culminate with "Fantastic Realities and Beyond Exhibition" that travels to the Visual Arts Gallery in February.

The first part, '12 Masters - Fantasy to Subliminal', will run from December 22-January 20. It will immerse itself in "elements of fantasy, gradually traversing into the realm of the unconscious" with the works of Ganesh Pyne, Arpita Singh, Shreyashi Chatterjee, and Sushen Ghosh.

'12 Masters - Neorealism to Social Realism', the second part, will introduce the tenets of existential crises and real life that will run from January 27 to March 1.

Artworks by the likes of Bikash Bhattacharjee, Jogen Chowdhury, Meera Mukherjee and Jaya Ganguly will be part of the exhibition.

The final phase, '12 Masters - Towards the Personal', will run from March 15 to April 13, featuring works of the sculptor, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury, graphics and bronzes by Somnath Hore, and the graphics and temperas by Lalu Prasad Shaw and Sanat Kar.

"'12 Masters' delves into the works of 12 artists in three phases, with each phase comprising of works of four artists, incorporating generational, gender and media variations, aiming to make the exposition more comprehensive.

"As CIMA completes three decades, we revisit earlier concerns and pose some new ones. The idea is to broaden the ambit and provide the generation of today with an opportunity to witness and experience visual history as it evolves, shapes and unravels new territories," Rakhi Sarkar, director of the CIMA gallery, said in a statement.

The 'Fantastic Realities and Beyond Exhibition' will first open at the Visual Arts Gallery on February 28 and will be showcased at CIMA from April 26 to May 25.

The show encapsulates the essence of fantasy, surpassing the confines of modernist surrealism by integrating postmodern and futuristic concepts into oriental storytelling.

Seminal works by 36 artists, including a musical excerpt from Satyajit Ray's renowned comedy "Goopie Gyne Bagha Byne", across 12 decades will be part of this show.

The exhibitions will come to a close on May 25.