On the Art Trail: 12 art exhibitions to visit

Kick start your dose of creative inspiration as you trail along our favourite art shows, auctions and new openings for the season.
MUMBAI
Explore systems of human progressMumbai based artist Abraham George makes an attempt at understanding order in the world through his solo exhibition Animal.Spirit.Algorithm. Using a series of grid-like patterns called Plans, he touches upon rhythms of information, environment, action and authority to interpret modernity.
When: Till April 14, 2016 Where: Gallery Maskara, 6/7 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba, Mumbai 05Website: www.gallerymaskara.com
Trace a family treeThe In-Coming Passengers by Desmond Lazaro depicts his ancestral discoveries in his quest to avail a PIO card in India. He connects his personal journey to that of immigrant families trying to track their roots in an imagined land and the effect it causes on future generations.
When: Till April 16, 2016 Where: Chemould Prescott Road Gallery, Queens Mansion, G Talwalkar Marg, Fort, Mumbai 01Website: www.gallerychemould.com
Observe intimate human gestures Please Have a Seat by visual artist Sameer Kulavoor is an exhibit of graphic art illustrations demonstrating human nature. Penned in his sketchbook over the years, the sketches were inspired by an interesting face or a peculiar pose.
When: April 22–30, 2016Where: Artisans’, 52–56, VB Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 01Website: www.facebook.com/artisans.centre.9
Play with words and worldsMumbai based designer and artist Lekha Washington expresses her take on collective nouns and phrases in her show The Collective Noun or A Pound of Flesh and Suchlike. Her imagination takes shape in the form of installations, sculptures and wallpapers that share compelling narratives about our bodies and worlds.
When: Till March 31, 2016Where: Sakshi Gallery, 6/9, Grants Building, 2nd Floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, Mumbai 05Website: www.sakshigallery.com
Explore the lifeworks of a legend Pages of a Mind, Raja Ravi Varma: Life and Expressions is a showcase of paintings by the great Indian artist whose work is considered as the beginning of Modern Indian Art. Witness a fusion of Indian traditions and techniques with European sensibilities in his celebrated work.
When: Till April 30, 2016Where: Piramal Museum of Art, Piramal Tower, Peninsula Corporate Park, GK Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 11Website: www.facebook.com/piramalmuseumofart
NEW DELHIGrasp the nuances of zen philosophyIn a series of 10 sculptures, 8 paintings and 72 haikus, Gallery Art & Soul presents Zen Space, a public showcase of works by artist Satish Gupta. In each of his pieces, note an affinity to nature and mysticism.
When: March 24–31, 2016 Where: Visual Art Gallery and Atrium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 03Website: www.indiahabitat.org
Enjoy a breath of fresh airCurated by Anubhav Nath, In the Open encompasses a pictorial documentation and a series of 30 large outdoors sculptures by celebrated sculptor KS Radhakrishnan. Crafted in bronze, most of these statues were initially imagined by him for open air spaces.
When: Till March 25, 2016Where: Ojas Art, 1AQ, Qutab Minar Roundabout, Mehrauli, New Delhi 30 Website: www.ojasart.com
Let silver dazzle your senses Refreshing Urns exhibition offers silver plated jugs, glasses and urns that will leave you starry eyed.
When: March 4–20, 2016 Where: At all Episode stores across IndiaWebsite: www.episodesilver.com
KOLKATAExperience a lifetime’s worth of achievementsNirantar is an art show displaying visionary Indian painter SH Raza’s body of work. Through his paintings one can experience how each signature piece borrows from elements of his personality, expressionism and tantrism.
When: Till April 9, 2016 Where: Akar Prakar, P 238, Hindustan Park, Gariahat, Kolkata 29Website: www.akarprakar.com
BENGALURU
Develop an historical perspectiveCurated by art historian and critic R Siva Kumar, Tea Garden Journal and Other Drawings, held in collaboration with Seagull Foundation for the Arts (Kolkata), is a series of 66 original pen and ink drawings taken from political activist Somnath Hore’s sketchbook. It documents the protest and exploitation of the Union workers in the Tea Gardens in Bengal during the 1930s.
When: Till March 20, 2016 Where: National Gallery of Modern Art, 49, Manikyavelu Mansion, Palace Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru 52Website: www.ngmaindia.gov.in
DUBAIThrough the looking glassHeld in collaboration with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA), the Dubai Photo Exhibition will see more than 700 images by 129 photographers from 23 countries. Don’t miss a series of black and white photos of the 20th century homes of famous Indian architects.
When: March 16–19, 2016Where: Dubai Design District (D3)Website: www.hipa.ae
ONLINEAccess India’s rich heritageIf you’re a connoisseur of all things ingenious and ethnic then don’t miss the online auction of Living Traditions: Folk and Tribal Art. From Theyyam and Bhuta masks to Kondh toys and Paithan artefacts, the collection comprises of collector’s pieces. You can also book a private appointment to personally view them.
When: March 16 –17, 2016 Where: Saffronart, Industry Manor, Ground Floor, Appasahed Marathe marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai 25Website: www.saffronart.comAlso read: Nicobar opens its first store in Mumbai