Artists reimagine India’s modernism by centering people

In 1981, artists associated with the Baroda school in India collaborated on the exhibition Place for People as a response to the political climate following Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and her return to power. Geeta Kapur and the artists designed the exhibition to highlight everyday people and their stories, moving away from abstract or symbolic art that had previously dominated the Indian art scene.

The exhibition included both established artists like Gulammohammed Sheikh, Bhupen Khakhar, and Jogen Chowdhury, as well as emerging talents such as Vivan Sundaram, Nalini Malani, and Sudhir Patwardhan. Their work depicted a range of experiences, from bustling city life to intimate domestic scenes, and explored themes of isolation, community, and identity. Sheikh’s paintings, for example, combined traditional Indian styles with depictions of modern urban landscapes, while Vivan Sundaram’s Passage showed fragmented urban experiences and psychological states.

Beyond showcasing art, Place for People aimed to create a democratic space for artistic expression, with Kapur intentionally stepping back from traditional critical roles to allow the artists to speak for themselves. Rekha Rodwittiya, though not part of the original exhibition, later continued this approach by portraying everyday life and questioning social hierarchies in her work, such as The Indian Businessman and his English Lover, which explored the relationship between India and the West.

The exhibition helped secure international recognition for Indian contemporary art and established a new direction for Indian modernism.