TARQ’s presentation of Sameer Kulavoor’s works at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 builds upon the themes explored in the artist’s solo show, Edifice Complex, at the gallery in 2023. In this body of work, Kulavoor specifically focuses on the hyper-development that is prevalent in megacities like Mumbai. The animated spirit of the city and its people transfigure into muted yet lively forms that refer immediately to the architecture and geography of the urban.
Central to the display are two large-scale drawn Timelapses, 2022, a series of sequential drawings that not only provide a unique perspective on the incessant, transient nature of urban structures but also highlight Kulavoor’s refined understanding of colour and materiality. Occupied with this drifting nature of time his other works, also composed of series of progressive drawings, ponder upon the evolution of architecture- the constant modification, shape-shifting and mutation that the structures go through to accommodate the functionality of the space. Further accompanied by videos, these works come together to form a moving image, reminiscent of flipbooks that enable the viewers to witness the evolution of structures that elicit the condensed passage of time.
Kulavoor’s most recent experiments involve painting on bonded particle cement board and were realised as organic choices, replicating the rigidity of the depicted structures. More importantly, they retain the innate marks, scratches, and chipped edges of being used or dragged to reflect the urban decay around us. It’s complicated, 2023, refers to a specific experience of displacement felt on witnessing structures that adjust themselves to location topography. The sense of height is sometimes lost or vividly experienced where the multi- layered and complex designs transform into endless mazes to discover. The element of play and freer architectural experiments echo postmodern tendencies that seep into his compositions, capturing the era of the construction.
