Art pieces at National Gallery of Modern Art “talk about what we were”: Curator

Sep 08, 2023

New Delhi [India], September 8 : Ahead of the visit by spouses of G20 leaders, curator of the exhibition 'Roots and Routes' at Delhi's National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) on Friday said the art pieces talk about what we were. 
Speaking to ANI, Curator Raghvendra Singh said, "All the pieces are antiquity pieces. All are over 2,000 years old. They talk about what we were, and how fine our craftsmanship is. Amravati was the glory of Buddhism in terms of craftsmanship and artistry. Amaravati pieces have come from Chennai, and Gandhara pieces have come from Chandigarh. It is a treat for the people in Delhi to come to this exhibition. It is informative and based on Indian sagas. It has been curated painstakingly and with diligent research."
Spouses of G20 leaders participating in the New Delhi Summit will inaugurate an exhibition dedicated to India’s civilisation prowess and artistic excellence, titled ‘Roots and Routes: Past Present and Continuous' on September 9 in the National Gallery of Modern Art, said official sources.
Sources also added that a 45-minute tour will be provided to spouses of leaders participating in G20.
"The Exhibition 'Roots and Routes' explores India's civilizational heritage, ethos and its inter-connectedness. The exhibition traces cultural marvels through Indian sagas based on archaeological artefacts, literature, numismatics, epigraphy, and paintings. The woven narrative is truly diverse and rich,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Singh said, "It is an attempt to curate the scattered pieces that present our culture... So that the grandiose is on display... This has increased the prestige of the exhibition... We wanted to prepare a world-class exhibition for world leaders. And we got the opportunity... what could be a better opportunity than this..."
"It took us 9 months to curate this exhibition... Pieces from Amravati came from Chennai... Pieces of Gandhara came from the Chandigarh Museum and Kolkata Museum... The National Museum has also loaned many pieces... Pieces from all over India have been curated based on the theme... The themes selected are in line with the priorities of G 20... The name of the exhibition is 'Roots and Routes' and it showcases our culture and cultural outreach... We are telling the story of our culture... The Sinauli chariot takes us back to 4000 to 5000 years... To the Sindhu Saraswati civilization... This is the only living example of a chariot from an old civilization... This is around 2000 BC, at least 4300 years old... This is a very important exhibition by the Ministry of Culture..." he added. 

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.
The 18th G20 Summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
A G20 Leaders’ declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.