Urban Landscapes and Ancestral Memory: How Chennai Defined Five Contemporary Artists
The third edition of Contemporary Now highlights the enduring influence of the Madras Movement through the works of 66 regional artists. This citywide exhibition examines how Chennai’s architectural history and cultural hubs continue to shape the visual language of modern Indian art.
Key takeaways
- The 1960s Madras Movement established a visual language based on indigenous scripts and folk forms rather than Western styles.
- Contemporary Now — Edition III showcases how Chennai's libraries, markets, and architecture serve as an extended art school for local creators.
- Prominent artists like Benitha Perciyal K and C Krishnaswamy translate regional heritage and ecological memory into modern installations and paintings.
Long before it evolved into a modern metropolis, Chennai established a unique visual identity through the 1960s Madras Movement. Initiated by KCS Paniker at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, this period rejected Western standards in favor of indigenous scripts and folk abstraction. This legacy, further solidified by the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, serves as the foundation for Contemporary Now — Edition III. The 20-day citywide program features 66 artists across seven galleries, utilizing artist walkthroughs and open houses to examine the city’s impact on creative practice.
Key Facts
- The Madras Movement of the 1960s prioritized indigenous forms and folk motifs over Western art traditions.
- Contemporary Now — Edition III is a 20-day event involving seven galleries and 66 artists across Chennai.
- C Krishnaswamy’s current work at Ashvita’s draws on the Ayyanar tradition of southern India, focusing on ecological memory.
- Benitha Perciyal K presents a wooden library series exploring centuries of archival knowledge, medicine, and history.
- Suresh Kumar P, a founding member of the KINETICS collective, transitioned from sketching colonial landmarks to producing meditative abstract works for Gallery Veda.
Background
For artists like C Krishnaswamy, who attended the Government College of Fine Arts between 1991 and 1996, the city functioned as an extended classroom. His practice was forged through sketches of Egmore and Central stations, research at the American Consulate and British libraries, and the acquisition of discarded materials from Moore Market. Krishnaswamy notes that the city did not merely educate him but became an inseparable component of his artistic identity.
Benitha Perciyal K arrived in Madras from Tiruvannamalai in 1995, experiencing a cultural shift that redefined her artistic trajectory. Her immersion in world cinema and literature at the Alliance Française and Max Mueller Bhavan transformed her approach to art. Over a decade, she has developed a library series consisting of hand-carved wooden books that explore themes of displacement and faith.
Why It Matters
The transition from colonial observation to abstract expressionism reflects the broader evolution of the region’s art scene. Suresh Kumar P, who spent his formative years painting the Kasimedu fishing harbor and Anderson Church, now translates those atmospheric memories into abstract paintings. Despite the city’s rapid modernization over the last quarter-century, the core elements of the Madras Movement—specifically the focus on everyday poetry and local identity—persist in the works of these contemporary practitioners.
Source: The Hindu - Lifestyle
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