Living histories | Indian art at The Hermitage

For the first time in its 260-year history, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is presenting a focused view of India’s contemporary art. Sediments of Becoming: Fossilised Present, Summoned Pasts showcases works of 11 Indian artists along with historical objects like icons, frescoes and decorative art from the Hermitage’s collection. “The overarching concern was about narrative authority—about art that is considered complex enough, rigorous enough and urgent enough to stand alongside the masters in an institution of world standing,” says Tunty Chauhan, director of Delhi’s Gallery Threshold and co-curator of the exhibition with Marina Schulz, head of the Hermitage’s contemporary art department.