Ishara Art Foundation has announced a new exhibit called ‘Lines of Flight’, the first solo exhibition in West Asia by acclaimed Indian artist Shilpa Gupta, opening on the 18th of January 2025.

Running until the 31st of May 2025, the exhibition will showcase a powerful collection of artworks spanning nearly two decades, including sculptures, drawings, sound installations, prints, videos, and site-specific interventions.
Gupta, who has spent over 25 years exploring themes of identity, state power, and societal structures, continues her critical investigation of boundaries—both real and imagined—in this exhibition. Her work highlights how political and social lines, designed to divide and control, inevitably lead to acts of defiance and transcendence.
‘Lines of Flight’ will feature significant works such as ‘StillTheyKnowNotWhatIDream’, a kinetic installation where traditional transport hub flap-boards relay fragmented words in poetic dialogue, and ‘Listening Air’, an immersive sound piece where microphones recite protest poetry from various cultural contexts, including works by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Among the most poignant pieces is ‘6, 10.3, 2’, a series created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the altered perception of distance during lockdown. The numbers in the title represent social distancing measures in different units—feet, metres, and palm lengths—capturing the invisible lines that dictated human behaviour during that time.
The exhibition also turns a critical eye to the Bangladesh-India border, presenting works that evoke the socio-political tensions in the region. These include line drawings using Phensedyl, a cough syrup symbolising cross-border smuggling and addiction, and ‘Will it be alright if we win?’, a video installation depicting a volleyball game played between divided communities under the watchful eye of border security forces.
Curated by Sabih Ahmed, Director of the Ishara Art Foundation, ‘Lines of Flight’ will be accompanied by public programmes and guided tours, both online and onsite, inviting audiences to engage deeply with Gupta’s interdisciplinary practice. The exhibition is supported by prominent art institutions, including Galleria Continua, neugerriemschneider, and Vadehra Art Gallery.
Shilpa Gupta’s work has earned international recognition through exhibitions at leading venues such as the Guggenheim, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou, as well as her participation in prestigious biennales, including Venice, Kochi-Muziris, and Sharjah.