The Body Politic
Posted On
A Provocative Exploration of Bodies and Power at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
Can the human body be a site of political resistance? Can its interaction with everyday spaces—natural, constructed, historical—serve as a challenge to social expectations and norms? The Body Politic, a compelling group exhibition at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, curated by Riya Kumar, delves into these very questions, pushing the boundaries of how we understand identity, space, and agency.
On view at Sakshi Gallery in Colaba until July 19, 2025, The Body Politic brings together works by a diverse group of artists—Bhanu Shrivastav, Kshetrimayum Gopinath Singh, Jayanta Roy, Ritesh Ajmeri, Ritika Sharma, Salik Ansari, and Siddhartha Kararwal. Through installations, sculptures, paintings, and mixed-media creations, the show examines how bodies navigate and challenge the political landscapes that shape them—be it through infrastructure, geography, or the invisible weight of personal and collective histories.
The body, in this context, is not merely a biological entity but a site of negotiation—where cultural expectations meet individual experience, where conformity is both imposed and resisted. Each artist in the exhibition brings a unique lens to this exploration, weaving in regional, social, and emotional nuances.
For instance, Bhanu Shrivastav’s work looks at how trauma imprints itself on the physical body, drawing connections between memory, violence, and healing. Meanwhile, Kshetrimayum Gopinath Singh examines bodily presence in urban environments, where the act of simply existing in public space can become an act of defiance—especially for those whose bodies fall outside conventional norms.
Jayanta Roy’s contributions bring a surreal and often satirical dimension to the exhibition. His playful use of scale and form interrogates the absurdities of societal control, while subtly referencing the personal battles fought within domestic spaces. Ritesh Ajmeri, by contrast, turns the gaze inward, using the body as a metaphor for fragility, vulnerability, and transformation.
Ritika Sharma’s multimedia installations offer a feminist perspective, emphasizing how women’s bodies are often subjected to scrutiny, regulation, and appropriation. Her pieces reject idealized notions of beauty and decorum, celebrating instead the raw, the unfiltered, and the unruly. Salik Ansari, known for his kinetic sculptures, brings motion into the conversation—his works often suggest tension, imbalance, or the push and pull between freedom and restriction.
Siddhartha Kararwal’s practice leans into the performative aspect of the body in public spaces. His works challenge the assumed neutrality of built environments, highlighting how infrastructure can become complicit in systems of exclusion and control.
Curator Riya Kumar stitches these diverse voices into a cohesive and thought-provoking narrative. “This show is about more than representation,” she says. “It’s about how bodies become instruments of agency, resistance, and storytelling. The exhibition invites viewers to consider how space is politicized—and how the simple act of inhabiting one’s body can be revolutionary.”
Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s constantly evolving urban fabric, The Body Politic resonates strongly. The city’s complex mix of colonial architecture, glass towers, slums, and shifting coastlines mirrors the fragmented yet resilient nature of the human body that the artists explore.
Ultimately, the exhibition is a reminder that the personal is political—and that our bodies, far from passive or apolitical, are constantly engaging in subtle, potent acts of rebellion.
