MAGMA Vol. I & II

St+art Mumbai 2014 culminated in two experiential exhibitions called ‘Magma I & II’ that were held in two distinct locations of Mumbai. While Magma Vol. 1 was hosted at St. Jude Bakery in Bandra (W), Magma Vol. 2 was held at Upadrashta House in Kala Ghoda. Akin to a traditional show, the pieces showcased in Kala Ghoda were more structural and heavy on canvases, whereas the artworks displayed at St. Jude were edgier and more experimental.

The exhibitions derived their name from an interesting parallel between the nature of street art and that of magma. A hot fluid or semi-fluid material below the Earth's crust from which lava and other igneous rock are formed on cooling, magma is unstoppable, fertile, rich and explosive. ‘Magma I & II’ strove to celebrate the global phenomenon of street art, a movement that is ascribed with many of the same characteristics. Urban art interventions rise from underground sources, engage with burning issues and produce something lasting.

While most urban artists have a sound in-studio practice along with their public works, they are mostly recognised as one or the other. The Magma exhibitions aimed at bridging this gap and also the geography of the city by creating 2 locations for Mumbaikers to visit - one in Town and one in Bandra.

Replete with heritage buildings, museums, art galleries and educational institutes, Kala Ghoda already had a long-standing reputation of being the hotbed of everything-art in Mumbai. To reinforce the foundation’s vision of making #artforall by taking it out of conventional gallery spaces, the second location in Bandra – a rundown bakery that had been transformed in the previous month was chosen to host Vol. 1 of the exhibition.

The exhibitions got artists who had created artworks across Bandra and Dharavi in the previous month to come together and showcase their in-studio work. Hosted at buildings of cultural significance, the exhibitions invited the public to re-imagine the utility of public spaces and the role they can play in expanding the scope of art.

The exhibitions also served as ideal settings for in-person engagement with artists whose work is otherwise left open solely to the spectators’ interpretation.