Teja Gavankar practises the art of turning the familiar into sites of introspection, unlocking the extraordinary in the everyday. Her artwork, Khora, for instance, installed at the T2 terminal of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, is a site-specific marvel in brick, cement, and other construction material. The 3-ft sculpture is inspired by the concept of Khora, a philosophical term described by ancient Greek philosopher Plato as a receptacle, a space, or an interval.
“It is neither existence nor non-existence, but an interval between, in which forms were originally present. It is a space of being neither here nor there, of being neither this nor that,” says Gavankar.
The concept lies in making a sphere made of two equal hemispheres, but the hemispheres do not form a complete sphere. “It’s frozen in the process… it is becoming a sphere,” the Mumbai-based artist explains. The work is symbolic to the venue. The airport connects with passengers, who have memories and emotions associated with a place they are coming from, and look forward to the new experiences as they move to a new place. “The journey is transitory and fluid and so is the sculpture. It is a futuristic form of how we are always becoming something,” she adds.
The fluid nature of space is intriguing for Gavankar. She shapes form and function to introduce elements of surprise while tracing a similarity as found in skies and rivers, solid pillars, corners, and architecture.
Gavankar, whose works were exhibited at the India Art Fair in Delhi earlier this year, and represented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, has always been inspired by space experiments. Her early explorations began with extending the corner of a bricked wall, right from her childhood spent in a one-bedroom home in Mumbai, as site of experimentation, she moved things around the house constantly to make the space feel new. “Rearranging furniture offered a sense of autonomy within confinement,” she says.
While there is an interplay between the organic and built environments, Gavankar questions the constant negotiation of brain, identity and memory. Her practice is rooted in materials and narratives of her immediate surroundings, and how one perceives and engages with spaces.
“My journey as an artist reveals a deep-seated fascination with the interplay of space and perception. If you miss it, you miss it, but if you find it, then there’s a moment of wonder,” she says, capturing her philosophy of cultivating awe within the unnoticed,” adds the 39-year old artist, whose process at times is playful and inventive, largely reflected in small, curious objects such as teakwood base and four brass sheets, all detachable; terracotta miniature bricks, construction materials, and motor mechanisms.
