Subodh Gupta reaches for the stars with his latest solo show, Cosmic Battle

Subodh Gupta’s iconic utensils have taken new form—one that is of colossal proportions. And it seems fitting because the artist’s latest solo show focuses on expanding his sculptural language into a seamlessly vast environment.

Upon entering the space, the viewer is greeted by a large, semi-sphere installation which is suspended from the ceiling. Revolving slowly, the piece takes multiple guises as it interacts with both the audience, and the space around it. Formidable yet elusive, this particular piece titled Cosmic Battle (II) takes the viewer on a hypnotic journey. And what the viewer makes of this gargantuan presence will ultimately depend on the personal encounter of the work on its infinite cycle of revolutions. Kind of like a heavenly body being photographed in different physical forms while making its celestial journey across the universe.

“The interior layers of the found and scratched utensils appear to me as images from the cosmos,” says Gupta when speaking of the inspiration behind Cosmic Battle. “I am interested in the mysteries of the universe. The more I read about its scale, the more it fascinates me. All these ideas influence me a lot in the making of my work,” he adds.

The exhibition is not just fixated on exploring the vastness of the cosmos, but also the themes of vulnerability, intimacy, and familiar notions. In an adjacent room, two very personal pieces of sculpture appear: a recent work titled Torso, and another one that is almost three years in the making, Self-portrait. The latter appears as an enormous cluster of disheveled and battered utensils in metallic shades that mimic other-worldly objects. It seems as if some of the artist’s sculptures were ejected from outer space, making them crash land on a set of wooden railway tracks—assembling like a spiritual tribute of sorts. “It is inspired by ritualistic traditions that impacted me while growing up,” says Gupta of the piece. “I believe in India we did not grow up going to a museum and learning modern art history, everyday rituals were the sites of learning and artistic inspiration,” he doubles down.

While Self Portrait recalls the artist’s childhood memories, with Torso, he explores the shape of his own body. Maintaining the story’s cohesiveness, this piece is also presented on a pedestal of railway tracks, and visualizes a sort of classical figure that is left to decompose.

When put together, these three sculptures represent Gupta’s interests in the theories of time and space, alluding to a higher power that holds our reigns. This sense of theatricality and drama has always been a running theme in Gupta’s works. After all, he started off as a theatre artist long before entering the art world. “Theatre was a crucial part of my life and impacted me more than my training in visual art,” says Gupta. “Whenever I exhibit large art installations, it is, for me, a performance. My work is performing by itself,” the artist signs off.