Chasing Infinity is the second edition of Arvind’s Cosmos series. From the vast landscapes of Hampi in the first series, he now turns to the intricate (limited?) landscape of chess- a space where his practice, rooted in geometry and mathematics, finds new resonance. For Arvind, the chessboard becomes a stage where the forces of tangibility and intangibility dance together, a terrain he navigates through geometry, mathematics and his newly found obsession: mythology.
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The idea of game of chess presented by Arvind in this exhibit is devoid of competitiveness as it tilts more towards a dialogue between finite position and near infinite possible movements, order and chaos, logic and intuition, seen pieces and unseen magnetic forces that bind them. What possibilities lie on a board of 64 squares and 32 pieces? Not infinite, but near-infinite—and Arvind is voraciously chasing them. Staying within the strict limits of the game, he presents numbers, through interesting forms, so vast that even an attempt to comprehend them can make one feel dizzy.
By merging chess with mathematics and mythology using diverse materialities, the artist wants to make the audience aware of the existence of many languages through which they can approach the mysteries of the cosmos. The languages that are familiar to the people, artist use them to make the audience think and engage in a dialogue on cosmology, for their laws shape our daily lives just as profoundly as the laws of society, politics and economics. With this daring intent, the artist invites us to play a game of chess, not for some ranking or victory but to unravel the mystery of cosmos. -Sandhesh Awdan
Text by Sandesh Awdan for my solo show at Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art
