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This volume signals an intertextual reading of the fourth generation of Indian artists since Independence. Working in the glare of international circuits and curatorial attention, this generation sets into motion leading issues in Indian art today.  Widely seen in international biennales and galleries, their work is collated here for the first time in a book with a critical reading.

An investigation into popular politics and mythology, conflicts around urbanism and a revisitation of Indian art history and popular culture are leading concerns.  Several artists of this generation stand out for their ability to engage with a spectrum of media, moving easily from video and performance to painting and sculptural installation.  Their positions in an increasingly globalised world reflect the India of the last two decades, as well as the leading issues of class and migration, and volatility within South and West Asia.  This seminal volume brings together leading scholars and critics from the fields of anthropology, museology and art criticism in a bid to historicize and locate such practices.  Each essay is accompanied by the artist’s own appraisal of her/his work, thus locating the artist’s presence within the emerging history of Indian art.