Atul Bhalla born in,1964. He has done his masters in Fine Arts from School of Art, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA and Bachelor in Fine Arts, College of Art, Delhi University, New Delhi.He is a conceptual artist working with environmental issues, particularly on water, for more than two decades. Bhalla’s oeuvre constitutes photography, sculpture, installation art and performances that capture the diverse roles played by water,his work invites the audience to engage directly with urban and metropolitan spaces, and in particular water resources, in his city New Delhi, and those he visits during the course of international exhibitions and residencies. He did his work ‘Yamuna Walk’ was part of the traveling exhibition Walk On: From Richard Long to Janet Cardiff - 40 years of art-walking at MAC Brimingham. He has also participated in the Yamuna Elbe Project, a project about two rivers - Elbe in Hamburg and the Yamuna in Delhi in 2011-12.
In his engagement with the eco-politics of water, Bhalla has been pushing for various thematic links through his multifaceted practice. Primarily using photography the artist explores histories and associative meanings of sites of everyday living, building narratives through performance and many times using text as well. His own body becomes a vessel in these explorations, as he photographs himself standing, sitting, lying or immersed in these spaces. He is particularly interested in the juncture where history makes itself visible in the present, not in a direct narrative manner but almost sublimely, where history is taken for granted despite its many implications which are in contrast to today’s world view. The artist has been successful in raising awareness about the misuse of a resource which, if we don’t protect now, will soon become scarce. He has published two books on his performance works, Yamuna Walk by University Washington Press, and What will be my Defeat by GFLK Galerie für Lanschaftskunst Hamburg.The artist lives and works in New Delhi.
Solo shows
2011 'On The Edge', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2009 '...In Another Sweat', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 ‘Within / Without’, Aicon Gallery, London
2007 ‘Remarking the River’, Project 88, Mumbai
2007 ‘Remarking the River', Anant Art Centre, Noida, National Capitol Region (NCR), India
2005 'Immersions’, Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2005 KHOJ-International Artists Association Khirkee, New Delhi
2000 Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, New Delhi
1990 Northern Illinois University, USA
Group shows
2012 'Slipping Through The Cracks', Latitude 28, New Delhi
2011 'Shikaar: The Hunt', presented by India Foundation for Art (IFA) and Khoj at Select City Walk and Good Earth, New Delhi
2010 'ID/entity', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'Indian (Sub)Way', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi; Grosvenor Vadehra, London
2009 'Living of the Grid', Anant Art Centre, New Delhi
2009 'Recycled', Bose Pacia, Kolkata
2009 'Harvest 09: Part II', Arushi Arts, New Delhi
2009 'In Focus: Contemporay Indian Photography', Crimson- The Art Resource, Bangalore
2009 'Re-Claim/ Re-Cite/ Re-Cycle', presented by Latitude 28 at Travancore Art Gallery, New Delhi; Bose Pacia, Kolkata
2009 'Immersions: The White Cube Project', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008-09 'Where In The World', Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi
2008-09 'Signs Taken for Wonders: Recent Art from India and Pakistan', Aicon Gallery, London
2008-09 'Mutant Beauty', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Nature Of The City', Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
2008 'Still Moving Image', Devi Art Foundation, Gurgaon, New Delhi
2008 'Creative Emergencies', Mar Museo D’ Arte, Della Citta Di Ravenna, Italy
2008 ‘Course’, Sepia International, New York
2008 ‘Visuals of a Post Visual World’, Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai
2007 ‘CITY.CITE.SITE.’, Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2007 ‘Relocating Masculinities’, School of Art And Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University (J.N.U), New Delhi
2006 'Watching Me-Watching India', Fotographie from Frankfurt, Germany
2006 'Wise Man's Drink’, LemonGrassHopper, Ahmedabad
2005 '…Through 22kms…' 'Living. it.out.in.Delhi’, Presentation Made at the Solo Show by Vivan Sundaram, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
2005 'Self x Social’, School of Art and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University (J.N.U), New Delhi
2004 ‘Median’, Epiques Art Gallery, New Delhi
2002 ‘Lok Raag’, Visual Art Gallery, Habitat Centre, New Delhi
2001 ‘Small but Significant’, Arpana Fine Arts, AFAL, New Delhi
2001 ‘…and Buddha Smiled Again’, Masters Guild, Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, New Delhi
1999 Mira Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
Joint Exhibitions
1997 Art Today, New Delhi
1992 Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
Participations
2011 'Red', Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Homespun', Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi
2011 'Beyond The Self', National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2011 'Paris-Delhi-Bombay', Centre Pompidou, Paris
2011 'Of Gods and Goddesses, Cinema, Cricket: The New Cultural Icons of India', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2010 'Place.Time.Play: India-China Contemporary Art', West Heavens Exhibition Project, presented by Shanghai International Culture Association, Institute of Visual Culture (China Academy of Art) at Shanghai Art Museum Lecture Hall, Shanghai
2010 'Water', Rutgers Zimmerli Art Museum, New Jersey
2009 The 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale presented by Anant Art, New Delhi
2009 'Art Dubai', Dubai presented by Anant Art, New Delhi
2009 'Contemporary Art from India', Palais Benedictine, Fecamp, France supported by Gallerie 88, Kolkata
2008-09 ''Modern India', organized by Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) and Casa Asia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture at Valencia, Spain
2008 '48°C Public. Art. Ecology', Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)
2007-08 ‘Public Places/ Private Spaces’, Contemporary Indian Photography and Video, Newark Museum, New Jersey, USA
2007 Frieze Art Fair, London
2007 'Watching Me- Watching India New Photography From India, Fotographie Forum Frankfurt, Frankfurt
1997 ‘Art Access’, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai
1996 Annual Painting Exhibition, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
1995 Annual Painting Exhibition, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
1994 National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1993 National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1992 Ravi Jain Memorial Art Exhibition, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
1991 63rd Annual Painting Exhibition, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
1991 Yuva Mahotsav, Sahitya Kala Parishad
1990 Spring: ARS Nova Show, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA
1989 Fall: ARS Nova Show, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA
1989 Spring: ARS Nova Show, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA
Awards
2009 Art Residency at IAAB Ateliers, Basel, Switzerland
2007 ’ECO+ART’, River Yamuna based Art Residency, KHOJ International Artists Association, Khirkee, Saket, New Delhi.
2006 'Dilli Dur Ast’, A month long residency within the old walled city of Delhi, KHOJ International Artists Association, Khirkee, Saket, New Delhi
1994 Honorable Mention, National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1991 Painting Award, Yuva Mahotsav from Sahitya Kala Parishad
1990 Best Graduate Painting Award, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA
1988-90 Tuition Waiver, Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois, USA