The contemporaneity of any work of art lies in the process through which it responds to a particular socio-cultural ethos, leaving traces of the multiple intersections with the chosen medium with other modes of representations, the politics of the selection of content and the manner of representation within a space at a particular moment in history. This might not be didactic, yet engage meaningfully to communicate or manage to provoke conversations. The quest for relevance is thus a permanent anxiety for artmakers. The reception of a ‘text’ is a collective effort where the piece of Art, the artist, and the audience participate in the meaning-making process.

Water-bodies will remain a kern motif of this dialogue where Vikram Iyengar will share his thoughts on his practices, including his latest works during moments of trials- within and without. Dheeman Bhattacharyya will interweave these tales to further probe the tendencies of an anti-narrative in recent artworks.