GenNext

Concept Note

Radicalizing thoughts, renovating structures –
Ground Plan for battle of two ways of life: Global and Romani
-Amit Mukhopadhyay





After the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Francis Fukuyama wrote in his book ‘the end of History and the last Man”(1992) that the advent of liberal democracies mark the ‘end of History’, that no further structural changes are possible in the framework of contemporary liberal democracy. Liberal democracy which is only a sub- system of late capitalism bound up with global market economics limits the development of political life which would mean that we have approached the end of mankinds ideological evaluation. The point is does global economic powers envisage a global man/ people, if so, who are they and how do they operate against / with the nation state? The second question would be has art become more real, democratic today because of globalization and fluid market structures which can enter either left or right depending on the conveniences / concessions granted to them. Has the private bodies got the control over the global confluence of artistic forms, are they in command over at the production process of art. Do they wish / cherish the dream of at least a part ownership of institutional policies and in turn extend/ share/ pull the public institutions into the larger market dramatics of artistic productions. If that happen will the public institutions become irrelevant or should it be reformed /restructure so that it can resist the pull of the private capital and can move closer and alongside the flow of newer artistic productions/ forms which are in the process of radicalization?
How should the people and the nation state and its various cultural agencies be configured in the context of global economic system? What has art got to do with it? Can art be political or is art per se integrated into economic and political contexts? One argument in favour of such an integration could be the fact that the global economic system even though requires the entire globe for material, economic, cultural and artistic purpose its natural tendency is to overlook the existential discrepancy between the rich, over developed and the minority, under represented multitudes of undocumented people?
Before we could resolve a thousand and one set of intriguing issues and questions a new economic system have cropped up which can be termed as post globalization system which is still not clearly defined. We can only ask that will this new system represent the undocumented people, the exiled, the displaced, the migrated, the romani Roman peoples’ lives in art? Will the new world order in the garb of post globalization lead to a Romani way of life , a form of life which is not structured institutionally, economically, politically and otherwise. Such an existential condition may perhaps be mentioned as a nation without a state, a nation consisting of peoples’ and not nationalities?
The globalization processes have already created large scale displacements thus destabilizing both the traditional and modern societies. Ironically displacements and migrations are in turn responsible for re- routing the passage of transnational / global capital. We can also say that there also takes place re- routing of routes, our culture, identities, language etc. Home waits nervously outside. Are we heading for ‘dehoming’ or portable, convertible home? What kind of art forms will emerge in such a condition, or will there be no art at all?


Structure of the Symposium
2nd October- 11.00 a.m to 1.30 p.m interactive session with attending Gen Next 4 artists with the Symposium participants.
2nd October – 2.30 p.m to 5.30 p.m.
SUB THEME - Has art become more real and democratic today because of globalization?
Chair person: Mr.Michael Ludgrove

Panel Discussion: 1) Anshuman Dasgupta, Art Historian, Shantiniketan Moderator
2) Ms. Deeksha Nath, Historian, Delhi
3) Ms. Amrita Gupta Singh, Art Historian, Mumbai
4) Ms. Sarmista Maity, Art Critic, Kolkata
5) Adip Dutta, Artist, Kolkata
6) Saikat Surai, Artist, Kolkata
7) Ms Oindrila Maity, Art Historian Kolkata
8) Ms. Mousumi Kandali, Art Historian,Guahati.
9) Ms.Vaishali Ramnathan, Art critic, Chennai
3nd October – 11.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
SUB THEME - In the context of post globalization the reproduction of forms of life in art represents both exploitation and resistance. Can resistance in art under value the hegemony of capital or almost redundant public cultural institution.
Chair person: Dr. Tapati Guha Thakurata, Art Historian, Kolkata (awaiting consent)

Panel Discussion: 1) Ms. Arshiya Lokhandwalla, Art Critic & Curator, Mumbai Moderator
2) Ms. Baishali Ghosh, Art Historian, Hyderabad,
3) Ms. Kavita Balakrishnan, Art Historian, Kerala
4) Ms. Sampurna Chakraborty, Art Historian, Kolkata
5) Sajad Hamdani, Artist, Shantiniketan
6) Ms. Dhrupadi Ghosh, Artist, Kolkata
7) Mohammad Ahmed Sabhi, Art Critic, Delhi
8) Ms. Sonia Ballany, Gallerists, New Delhi
9) Ms.Sandhya Annaih, Art critic, Bangalore
3nd October – 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
SUB THEME - Post globalization/ post capitalism will further erase notions of home,family,territory,structured forms of institution ,law,justice,ethics.will it finally lead us to dehoming,towards a Romani way of life?
Chair person: Ms.Sheba Chhachhi, Artist, Delhi

1) Ms. Moumita Sen, art critic, Kolkata (Moderator)
2) Frank Barthelemy, France, Art collector
3) Ms. Vrushali Dhage, Art Historian, Mumbai
4) S. Sontosh, Art Historian, Delhi
5) Ms. Abhijna Bhattacharjee, Art Historian, Kolkata.
6) Ms. Vidya Sivdas, Art critic, New Delhi
7) Ms. Sheersha Mukherjee, Artist, Kolkata
8) Ms. Meghna Vyas, Art Educanist & Art Administrator,
9) Sovon Tarafder, Art critic, Kolkata