In 1986, Sunil Gupta was commissioned by The Photographer's Gallery to document the lives of gay men in Delhi. The resulting photographs, which feature anonymous volunteers, provide visual evidence of private moments of love and friendship typically undocumented.
Exiles has been described by Gupta as ‘staged documentary’, originating from an activist imperative to create images of a community he felt ‘just didn’t seem to exist’ within cultural production. When Gupta returned to India in 2007, he found the younger generation more willing to identify themselves. In Mr Malhotra's Party, named individuals were photographed in spaces they live and work in, inscribing their presence within the city's social scene and family structures.
This artist's talk will place these two series in dialogue, exploring the continuities and differences between both bodies of work. Gupta and Anderson will discuss the activist impulse behind both series, Gupta's photographic process, and the reception of these images in relation to mainstream coverage of queer communities in India.
This event is part of The Courtauld and Somerset House collaborative digital programme which is supported by Morgan Stanley.
