Geopolitical tensions force Drents Museum to postpone opening of Amrita Sher-Gil exhibition
Yesterday, the Drents Museum received notification from the Indian Ministry of Culture that, due to current geopolitical tensions, it has decided not to allow the approximately 60 artworks for the exhibition Amrita Sher-Gil - 'Europe belongs to Picasso, India belongs to me' to be transported. As a result, the exhibition cannot open on 22 March. Robert van Langh, director of the Drents Museum: 'This means we are forced to postpone the long-awaited Dutch premiere of one of India's most important artists with an impressive oeuvre.'
The exhibition, which has been six years in the making, includes approximately 60 paintings and drawings from the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. For the first time in 20 years, this most important collection of Sher-Gil's work was to be shown in Europe. Her paintings are national heritage and rarely leave India, and only with special permission from the Indian government.
Van Langh: 'The Drents Museum is all set to hang Sher-Gil's artworks on the walls and open the exhibition. It is a huge disappointment, because we were very excited that this national heritage would now be coming to the Netherlands from India. At the same time, we understand the decision. Amrita Sher-Gil's work can perhaps best be compared to the importance of Rembrandt and Van Gogh's work for the Netherlands. We are in close contact with our partner museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, to ensure that the collection travels to the Netherlands as soon as possible. Our first priority now is to create a new exhibition for the public in the short term."
Call to museums: ‘Ode to Amrita’
In order to introduce the public to Amrita Sher-Gil, the Drents Museum will soon be opening an exhibition in honour of her work and ideas, drawing on the rich collections of Dutch museums. Amrita Sher-Gil’s story is still relevant today because it reflects the complexity of the world we live in. We live in a time when achievements such as openness and freedom of expression are under threat. We are asking our museum colleagues in the Netherlands to select a few works from their collections that relate to the themes in her life and work, such as identity, freedom, connection and love. We are delighted that the first Dutch museums have already agreed to participate.
More information about “Ode to Amrita” will be announced shortly.
