Sudarshan Shetty Solo Exhibition

Metaphorical work - Untitled, Objects and Video Installation, Detail, 213x175x435 cm, 2008. Sudarshan Shetty solo exhibition: on view at Daniel Templon Gallery from September 5 to October 24. Born in 1961, Sudarshan Shetty is of the same generation as Subodh Gupta and Atul Dodiya, all among India's prominent artists. Their works carry a strong local-global context, making them particularly outstanding and fresh. Shetty has evolved from early painting to today's diverse explorations—sculpture, objects, installation, and video art. Through his alternative everyday objects, debris, body fragments, and mechanical elements, he presents a distinctly Indian philosophical perspective, contemplating the complex relationship between life and death, spirit and consumption. The artist explains: "My concept is to create monuments using middle-class everyday objects." In his first Paris exhibition, Sudarshan Shetty displays two monument-like object installations constructed entirely from miniature models of India's most famous landmark, the Taj Mahal. As is well known, the magnificent Taj Mahal was built by King Shah Jahan in the 17th century to commemorate his beloved wife, becoming one of the world's most bewitching cultural heritage sites today. The center is occupied by an extraordinary monument piece, rigorously constructed from cast bronze miniature models of the Taj Mahal into a geometric rectangle. Inside is installed a metaphorical video showing a digital recording of the Taj Mahal slowly burning down until it vanishes. Another work sits on a table: a black suit filled with miniature Taj Mahal models. These two works can be read as references to the current Indian consumer society and Indian metaphysical views, or as deviations of modern greed and rapid modernization. The artist sighs: "Nothing lasts forever, not even this precious art."