An exhibition of modern Indian art at MOMA
won’t raise eyebrows. The Museum of Modern Art is, after all, in New
York, a major center for international art. But what if that exhibition
is held at MOCA? It’s bound to generate a buzz—as it indeed did—because
the Museum of Contemporary Art is in Shanghai.
Dubbed India Xianzai, this art bonanza at MOCA was the first of its
kind in China. It became emblematic of the deepening ties between two
fast-rising powers that are also, in some ways, rivals. About 60 works
by 21 well-known Indian artists were shown from mid-July to the end of
August. On display were paintings, photographs, contemporary sculptures
and audio-visual installations. Featured artists included Mithu Sen,
T.V. Santhosh, Riyas Komu, Chitra Ganesh, Anju Dodiya, Reena Kallat and
Subodh Gupta.
Also in August, China participated in the 2nd India Art Summit in Delhi.
Going beyond cultural ties, India and China have decided to resolve
their border dispute, although tensions remain, and strengthen their
trade ties. The goal is to have $60 billion worth of bilateral trade by
next year (it now stands at $40 billion). Tourism, too, has picked up
in both directions.
While Chinese food—or, to be precise, Indian Chinese food—has long
been popular in India, now Indian cuisine is making small inroads in
China. There are, reportedly, over 100 Indian restaurants in China.
That may not be an impressive number, but it’s still a vast improvement
over the last decade. As Shashi Tharoor, the Indian Minister of State
for External Affairs, pointed out in August, the Indo-China
“relationship should not be seen only in the context of the problems;
it should also be seen in the context of the opportunity.”