New gallery in Colaba opens with an exhibition focussing on nostalgia and more

Pliny the Elder called it lsquothe first emporium of the Eastrsquo in his Natural History The Silapatthikaram of Sangam Literature marked it as a port city known for Roman trade Yet for gallerist Joe Cyril Muziris represents an idea that extends far deeper than commerce can As he opens doors to the Muziris Contemporary in Colaba this week these ideas will seek to set roots in a new portldquoEven when I moved to Mumbai in 2015 after working with the KochiMuziris Biennale I carried the idea with me mdash from one port city to anotherrdquo the Kochiborn Cyril shares In February 2025 the gallerist returned to his hometown with the ambition of opening an art institution the Muziris Contemporary ldquoBut when the opportunity opened for a gallery in Colaba we thought it was the right timerdquo he revealsA view of the new gallery spaceAt the heart of spaceIt is no surprise then that the gallery space at the Arsiwala Mansion mdash earlier home to Gallery XXL mdash becomes a part of its expression ldquoOur first show that opened on August 14 Memory Palace explores this very concept Ayaz Basrai curator binds it so well taking its roots from the Roman tradition of using art to replicate memories of places people and cultures like The House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeiirdquo the gallerist points outArtwork by Kapil JangidCurator Ayaz Basrai explains further ldquoArt reexamines the nature of relationship between a patron and an artist an artist and memories and memories and the place The showcase features artists examining their own memories of the cities spaces they interacted with and remember in their own expressionrdquo Basrai adds that the idea began with the Roman concept of the Memory Room and thus centres around works that touch upon themes of nostalgia memory and rooted identityArtwork by Kuber ShahThe showcase will feature works by eight artists including the Vayeda Brothers examining the idea of intergenerational knowledge of Warli art exploring the contemporary cityscape the community is surrounded by Singaporebased Nandita Mukand turns to modern day industrial material to evoke a conversation with the natural world or the elusive NN Rimzon exploring meditative forms shaped through his own cultural experiences down South From Mumbai Kuber Shahrsquos photographs document the Art Deco history of Mumbairsquos architecture the works on display include his documentation of Liberty Cinema while Harsimran Juneja draws on graffiti and public speech through mixed media to question binaries The list is completed by Tulika Shrivastava Kapil Jangid and Santhi ENArtwork by Santhi ENldquoThe goal of the gallery was also to break these purist tendencies of what denotes fine art I wanted to reach out to the lsquoallied partnersrsquo of the art world mdash researchers academics and designers to add a curatorial layerrdquo adds CyrilCollapsing Evolving by Nandita Mukand Pics CourtesyMuziris ContemporarySetting the scenographyThe curation itself is allied with the space of the gallery ldquoIt is something I have carried on from the Biennale There is a closer relationship between the community the artworks the architecture of the spaceand the context of the showrdquo the gallerist explainsAyaz Basrai and Joe CyrilTo this end the ancient confines of the Mansion were highlighted From the original wooden beams that held up the buildings the metal rafters as well as bringing in teak wooden benches designed by Chacko a Keralabased design studio mdash shaped along the lines of the Kerala church benches the gallery becomes an immersive space that echoes the ideas of its artworksSouthern renaissanceThe Kochi gallery placed in the old Jew Town of Mattancherry is now scheduled for an opening in November mdash closer to the Biennale Cyril says The twogallery model will help build a syncretic flow of ideas ldquoThere is an aspect of storytelling cultural legacy and artists from the South that I hope to juxtapose with the contemporary art in Mumbairdquo the gallerist concludesTILL September 21 11 am to 7 pmAT Muziris Contemporary 21 Arsiwala Mansion Wodehouse Road ColabaFREE