Mumbai, March 3, 2025: Rooted in an exploration of truth and perception, Voir Dire—a phrase derived from old French, meaning “to speak the truth” – is a legal term that refers to the process of questioning and the uncovering of hidden realities to distinguish between appearance and authenticity.
Curated by Anupa Mehta, a well known gallerist, curator and author, this exhibition invites viewers to examine how truth is constructed, perceived, revealed and shaped by differing perspectives. The exhibition, which opens at Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art in Mumbai on March 13, 2025, marks a shift in the gallery’s programming while bringing together compelling works by some of India’s best known contemporary artists including Arunkumar HG, Benitha Perciyal, Bose Krishnamachari, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, G Ravinder Reddy, Riyas Komu, Sudarshan Shetty, and Valay Shende.
“When we first began in 2008, our primary focus was on nurturing young and emerging artists, as well as curators, providing them with a platform to showcase their talent. However, since 2018, we have expanded our vision to include internationally recognized mid-career artists, said Anupa Mehta. “With this latest exhibition, we are taking yet another step forward by presenting the works of established contemporary artists through a series of group shows. Our aim is to create opportunities for new and younger collectors to acquire pieces from some of India’s most renowned artists.”
The process of viewing allows multiple layers of truth to surface, pointing towards the artwork’s inherent capacity to reveal its intent. The artworks serve as witnesses to their time and environment. Each piece engages in a form of voir dire, presenting fragments of truth- sometimes vivid, sometimes obscure – and invites the viewer to be a part of the discovery. The interplay between material and meaning, and illusion and reality prompts deeper questions.
Arunkumar HG’s sculpture of a hardy cactus draws attention to the exigencies of climate change. Benitha Perciyal’s life-sized evocative sculpture speaks of the politics of displacement and loss. Chittrovanu Mazumdar’s artwork is an elegy for the loss of a collective voice.
G Ravinder Reddy turns a mundane fruit into a sacred object, thereby giving it iconic status. Riyas Komu’s work critiques a world ruled by power, hatred and surveillance. Valay Shende’s sculpture of an EVM caught in a trap, is an ironic commentary on democracy.
In the process of Voir Dire the artwork and its intent become an invitation for the viewer to reflect on the coming together of the social, the political and the personal.
