An artist with a repository of ideas ahead of time.
The decade of 2000 - 2009 saw the artist being firmly recognised as a pioneer of art for environment consciousness, climate change and sustainability in India, with his unique first of their kind thought experiments and innovative projects creating a movement of art for earth.
As also a pioneer of taking art beyond art amidst unconventional spaces with hitherto unexplored ideas.
His distinctive interdisciplinary practice with poetry, music, dance, science, and other streams along with education outreach programmes for students and unique co-creations and collaborations, with multiple disciplines were ahead of their time in India.
The above charting of new territories by the artist went on to be adopted extensively in the Indian contemporary art landscape in the following decades.
2009
Exhibition:
On my eyot - rainforests & the Umbilical Cords
ICCR, New Delhi
Cosmic Design
Oil on Canvas
8' x 4'
Artist Monographs Published by ICCR
Hosted by ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India
Azad Bhawan Gallery, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, India 110001
Exhibition on climate change. beyond boundaries.
On the occasion of Copenhagen Summit
Curtain Raiser For Travelling Trilogy – U.S, Europe & U.K, 2010
"Let us stop a while...
while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…
I want to drive home the message that we have to go beyond Copenhagen, beyond drawing room politics and sensitise ourselves, and try and make a change on an individual level. The change needs to be from within us otherwise the generations to come will suffer"
- Manav Gupta
"Beyond Politics, Beyond Copenhagen, For Our Children" – Treatise by the artist, published on the occasion of the artist's Travelling trilogy, Lectures and Films on Sustainable development (2009 -2010)
Public Art Projects:
art
taking art
beyond art
thought
experiments & new layers of creations
Artist's film screening & television broadcast
One minute & 30 Second Short films commissioned by Ministry of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India at the Copenhagen Summit and on Indian television.
Copenhagen Wall of Hope
CNN IBN commissioned the artist on the occasion of Copenhagen summit to create a painting where they serialised the artists depiction of destruction caused by human intervention in nature.
2007
Exhibition:
Travelling Trilogy of Interdisciplinary Practices, Environmental Films Telecast and Public Exhibition - Muscat, Oman
Intimate Whispers in the Rainforests
Watercolour on Paper
8' x 4'
Hosted by Omani Fine Arts Society, Grand Hyatt, Muscat, Oman
112 Ruwi Saltanate of Oman, Saltanate of Oman, 4008
Exhibition: Travelling Trilogy Edition 1
"Let us stop a while...
while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…
I want to drive home the message that we have to go beyond Copenhagen, beyond drawing room politics and sensitise ourselves, and try and make a change on an individual level. The change needs to be from within us otherwise the generations to come will suffer"
Auctions & Public Art Projects
Bonhams Charity Auction, London, United Kingdom | Hitachi Singapore
Hitachi Singapore : Limited Edition Screens featuring Manav Gupta's Paintings.
art
taking art
beyond art
2006
Commissioned by Ministry of Forest & Environment, Govt of India
One Minute & 30 Second Films on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Sustainability and Environment Consciousness as Public Service Messages | Performance Art Concert | Sanatan Kalakriti Award
2005
Exhibition:
Shoonya - from Beyond
Hosted by the Lalit Kala Academy (National Academy of Art, India)
35, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-110001
Shoonya - from beyond
Watercolour on Paper
5' x 4'
Thought Experiments & Education Outreach - art for earth – at the Exhibition, The Green Thumb Pledge, Published Documenta, 'Stop a While...'
"I Pledge 10000 of my students to you"
Shyama Chona, Principal, DPS R. K Puram
2003 - 2004
Exhibition:
Umbilical Cords of Earth & the Circle of Life
The Park Hotel, New Delhi | Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, India
Victoria Jones Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Umbilical Cords of Earth - Dance of Salvation
Watercolour on Paper
5' x 3'
Plant a Sapling on my Canvas - Edition I,
Permanent Collection, Bharti Airtel
Exhibition on Environment Consciousness, Umbilical cords of Earth, Shoonya from Beyond
"Let us stop a while...
while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…
- Manav Gupta
"Beyond Politics, Beyond Copenhagen, For Our Children" – Treatise by the artist, published on the occasion of the artist's Travelling trilogy, Lectures and Films on Sustainable development (2009 -2010)
Public Art Projects
Plant a Sapling on my Canvas - Edition I,
2003
First Artist to be invited for Residency – Interdisciplinary Practices of Painting and Poetry | The Life Tree | First Artist in Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
A Three Year collaboration of creating a book of poems by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and mirroring paintings by Manav Gupta | The Life Tree | Published by Penguin
The Life Tree
A Three Year collaboration of creating a book of poems by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and mirroring paintings by Manav Gupta | The Life Tree | Published by Penguin
First Artist in Residence
First Artist in Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
Education Outreach
Engagement with School Children on Art & Science & Culture
2002
Exhibition:
Sense to Essence, Pratirupa Pururpa
Hostel by the Leela Palace, Bangalore, Karanata, Indiaka
non limiting horizons 8
Watercolour on Paper, 19 inches x 28 inches
Sense to Essence, Pratirupa Pururpa Leela Palace, Bangalore, India June 7 - June 28, 2002
Hostel by the Leela Palace, Bangalore, Karanata, Indiaka
2002
Sparks - Book of Poems & Paintings | Business Leadership Awards | 'Jugalbandi' - Pioneering Performance Art in India
Business Leadership Awards to Kumar Mangalam Birla and K. V Kamath | Sparks, a book by Smt Shiela Gujral, former First Lady to former Prime Minister of India, Dr I. K Gujral | Jugalbandi, a performance art concert in India, with Shubha Mudgal
2001
Exhibition:
Roosevelt House
Hosted by the United States Ambassador to India
Umbilical Cords of Earth
Watercolour on Paper, 5' x 4'
United States of America, United States Embassy, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India 110021
2000
Ministry of Culture
Hosted by Ministry of Culture
Department of Culture, Govt of India
1996 - 1999
"He Is Different"
OUTLOOK
"Exuberant and Reflective. The artist has a fine sense of colour"
Art Critic, Economic Times
"Manav is creative in more ways than one. He is at home with different mediums- from water colour to oil, from roots of trees to wood pulp... The paintings devoid of lines whatsoever are glimpses of nature’s different moods. And there is yet another tool of expression. Manav is a poet. Each of his work ( be it painting or sculpture) is accompanied by a poem. Manav the poet and Manav the artist marry easily to create forms and shades. But it is difficult to tell which is conceived first- the poetry or the painting. "
THE STATESMAN
"Earth tones dominate the works of Manav Gupta"
THE STATESMAN
"Different Strokes – Why Manav Gupta is an artist with a difference."
Times of India
1999
Exhibition:
India Awaiting -Timeless Metaphors of Dreams
Hosted by the Taj Palace, New Delhi​
Element Fire
Watercolour on Paper, 28 inches x 21 inches
Published Monographs
Taj Palace,, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India 110021
1997
Earth Series, Founding arth, nature as a laboratory, contemporary miniatures, 'seeing the unseen', 'freedom to be different'
Hosted by the Taj Bengal, Kolkata
1996
Open Public Art Exhibition of Paintings | Birla Academy of Fine Arts
Hosted by the Birla Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata
Southern Ave, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 700029
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