Dates: 10th April to 27th April,2025
Location: Black Cube Gallery, G12A, 2nd Floor, Hauz Khas, New Delhi
Description – Sanya Malik’s newly opened Black Cube Gallery in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, presents its second show, Kindred Dichotomies, a compelling exhibition featuring Sudhanshu Sutar and Andrea Zucchi. On view from 10 April to 27th April 2025, the show brings together two distinct artistic voices exploring history, identity, and memory through archival imagery and cultural symbols, bridging past and present.
Curatorial Note :
Bridging Histories, Transcending Language The exhibition brings together two contemporary artists—Sudhanshu Sutar (b. 1988, Bhubaneswar, India) and Andrea Zucchi (b. 1964, Milan, Italy)— whose works, though born from distinct cultural and historical contexts, engage in a profound visual and conceptual dialogue. Despite the fact that the artists do not share a common spoken language, their practices speak to one another in a way that transcends verbal communication, exploring themes of historical continuity, identity, memory, and reinterpretation.
Sutar and Zucchi both work with imagery that blurs temporal boundaries, merging past and present through visual storytelling. They delve into historical materials—archival photographs, literature, and cultural symbols—reinterpreting them to address contemporary concerns. Their approaches, however, differ in tone and execution: while Sutar constructs narratives rooted in his personal and cultural history, focusing on lost royalty and shifting identities, Zucchi plays with appropriation and juxtaposition, layering historical imagery with an irreverent, almost surreal energy.
Sudhanshu Sutar: Lost Royalty and Theatrical Storytelling Sutar’s work is deeply rooted in the historical and cultural landscape of Odisha, India. Inspired by Kanika Palace—a structure reminiscent of Buckingham Palace, yet one whose original grandeur has faded over time—Sutar’s series on kingship and lost royalty reflects on the ephemeral nature of power and identity. Through his paintings, he resurrects forgotten histories, capturing the echoes of a past that still lingers in contemporary consciousness.
Sutar’s background is instrumental in shaping his artistic vision. Growing up in Odisha, he absorbed stories of Indian independence, royal life, and theatre, all of which find expression in his work. His father, a theatre director and writer, and his grandfather, a carpenter for the palace, provided him with a unique perspective on both the grandeur and decay of historical legacies. These influences manifest in his highly staged compositions, where each painting functions as a meticulously arranged theatre set, evoking the tradition of Indian Nataks (theatre performances) that Sutar has witnessed throughout his life.
His artistic approach involves stripping faces of their individuality, allowing the figures in his work to embody broader concepts of kingship, power, and historical displacement. He constructs a dialogue between the past, present, and future, where history does not remain static but is constantly reinterpreted. His use of archival photographs, literary influences, and surrealist undertones (a classification he did not originally intend but later embraced) results in a body of work that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Andrea Zucchi: The Art of Appropriation and Reinterpretation
Zucchi’s artistic practice is characterized by his engagement with historical imagery, which he transforms through the lens of contemporary visual culture. Born in Milan, Zucchi’s early artistic influences stemmed from classicism, philosophy, and literature, eventually leading him toward a unique visual language that fuses historical references with striking modern interventions.
His latest series involves the appropriation of 19th-century photographs, which he reimagines through exaggerated, almost psychedelic colours and compositions. This process of ‘psychedelic plagiarism’—as it has been described—imbues historical figures and classical subjects with a disorienting, contemporary sensibility. By manipulating these images, Zucchi questions notions of authenticity, originality, and the way history is mediated through visual representation.
Unlike Sutar, who reconstructs lost narratives through deeply personal connections, Zucchi engages in a playful yet critical examination of how history is preserved, copied, and repurposed. His work taps into the modern phenomenon of ‘copy and paste’ culture, where digital technology enables endless reproduction and recontextualization of images. This interrogation of appropriation extends beyond mere aesthetic exercise—it becomes a commentary on globalization, memory, and the fluidity of historical interpretation.
A Dialogue Beyond Words What unites Sutar and Zucchi in this exhibition is their shared fascination with history—not as a fixed entity, but as a space for reinterpretation. Both artists engage with archival materials and historical imagery, transforming them into contemporary visual narratives that invite viewers to reconsider the past in new ways.
At the same time, their methodologies highlight intriguing contrasts. Sutar’s work carries a meditative and theatrical quality, where the weight of history is felt through carefully composed scenes that honour the dignity of lost figures. In contrast, Zucchi disrupts historical imagery with irreverence and chromatic intensity, creating an almost Pop-infused revision of the past. One artist seeks to preserve and reimagine, while the other deconstructs and subverts.
This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to witness how two artists from vastly different backgrounds can converge in their exploration of time, memory, and identity. Despite linguistic and cultural differences, their works engage in a rich conversation—one that demonstrates the power of art to bridge gaps, create connections, and foster a dialogue that transcends words. Here, history is not merely remembered but reimagined, proving that the past is never truly behind us; it is always in flux, waiting to be rediscovered.
About Black Cube:
Black Cube Gallery is a contemporary art space that challenges conventional hierarchies by bringing together established and emerging artists in a shared dialogue. Founded on the belief that art should exist beyond structured divisions, Black Cube creates a space where different artistic languages interact, where tradition and experimentation coexist, and where critical discourse is extended to all artists, not just the historically recognized. Black Cube launched its first permanent space in Hauz Khas, New Delhi in February 2025. The gallery remains committed to fostering meaningful engagement with contemporary art, offering exhibitions that challenge, provoke, and expand the way we experience visual culture. At its core, Black Cube is more than a gallery—it is a space of exchange, experimentation, and new possibilities for artistic thought and presentation.
Curator/Director
Sanya Malik, founder and director of Black Cube Gallery in New Delhi, has been immersed in the art world from an early age, growing up around renowned Indian artists such as Himmat Shah and Krishen Khanna. Her academic background includes studies in art criticism and curation with her bachelor’s from Central Saint Martins London, and Masters from Royal College of Art, London. Under her leadership, Black Cube challenges traditional gallery norms by offering a platform that bridges the gap between established and emerging artists, aiming to make art more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
