Main Section – Stand F5
8–12 September 2021
Somerset House, London
The Photography of Shubha Taparia and Gianni Berengo Gardin
Prahlad Bubbar is delighted to present the photographs of the renowned conceptual artist Shubha Taparia alongside iconic vintage prints by the legendary Italian photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin. Together they explore the theme of human presence, whether overt or implied, within the structures of architectural and topographical landscapes.
Shubha Taparia, an Indian artist living in London since 2001. In her work across various mediums, she has sought to address the critical notion of permanence and impermanence in the interaction between human and urban entities. Her work has been featured in prestigious architectural journals (RIBA) as well as highlighted as one of the most relevant emerging artists capturing the philosophical zeitgeist of our time (FAD magazine).
For Photo London 2021, Taparia has produced a series of powerful images that capture the physical structures of daily urban life in that transitory moment when the human element and dynamic has been removed; the remaining structures are transformed from living organisms to repositories of contained physical and psychological experiences long since gone but leaving an active spiritual imprint within their material form. Whether through the intervention of textile layering or applied gold leaf, Taparia acknowledges what remains when cities are denuded of organic energy.
Gianni Berengo Gardin, best known for his iconic images that capture the spirit of post-war Italy. Through sensitive images of human activity within enclosed spaces and external settings, Berengo Gardin speaks of the enduring legacy of human intervention and the survival of social mechanisms. By contrast to Taparia’s work, his iconic B&W images depict the synergy between structures, architectural and topographical, when human presence shares the frame. Human interaction becomes immortalised and a testament to time and history, whether a passage on a vaporetto, a solitary beach or a city balcony.
Since 2001 Prahlad Bubbar has collected and exhibited 19th and 20th century photography. The gallery has worked with museums and private collections in sourcing the best material. Past photographic exhibitions in our Mayfair gallery have received critical acclaim from the international press, including The New York Times, British Journal of Photography, The Economist, BBC and RIBA Journal.
Prahlad Bubbar gallery specialises in the arts of South Asia and 20th century masterpieces of art, photography and design, while also promoting projects of contemporary art. Prahlad Bubbar is a regular exhibitor at Frieze Masters, Asia Week New York and Asian Art in London.
Photo London 2021
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA
Preview Day:
Wednesday 8 September, 1–9 pm
Public days:
Thursday 9 September, 1–9pm
Friday 10 & Saturday 11 September, 11am–7pm
Sunday 12 September, 11am–6.30pm
For more information and image requests, please contact:
Miguel Pacheco, miguel@prahladbubbar.com