In between different eras

For someone who doesn't believe in the permanence of things, it is ironic that Sudarshan Shetty is showcasing his installations at a museum, a place that aims to freeze time. Sudarshan's latest body of work, This too Shall Pass, on display at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum aptly mixes tenses, capturing the contradiction of city life and the inevitable changes that result from it:



Mission impossible
Mumbai has a peculiar way of mixing tenses and I just want to find a sense of sanity living here. But having said that, I see a lot of humour in life and that's reflected in my work. For instance, I've created a life-size rocking horse skeleton that you can't possibly ride on. This show highlights a sense of impossibility that constantly plagues us. Some people might call my work dark, but I find it funny.

Very funny!
In fact, I draw inspiration from this impossibility and our city and bodies are arenas that fascinate me. In the fast-paced Mumbai city, we're constantly staring at impossible situations. In life, we're chasing after youth and the ad world cashes in on our need to want to look and feel younger. And no matter how fast we run, we can't hold on to anything because everything here is transient. That isn't a morbid subject for me, in fact I find it very amusing.

Time check
I've never believed in titling my work because I want my audience to see it as one body and approach it in its plurality. I don't even have a plan in place when I embark on the journey of an exhibition. Just like the theme of this show, my work is constantly evolving. Can't wait to see the story of my art work twenty years from now!