The New Delhi based Anant Art Gallery has currently been transformed into a series of subtle sensorial immersive spaces.

Erie environments have been created – chambers if you like – for the visitors to take part and share an aesthetic experience. The participating artists have been asked to select their space at the outset of the project and then to negotiate with it, coax it and their respective constructions to work in tandem. Each creation, each space is distinct. However, this difference is very much apparent in relation to each other.

The exhibition at Anant Art Gallery (April–May, 2009) examines a key concern for many art practitioners. The curatorial note by Deeksha Nath explains that the concern is that of engaging the emotions of the user or audience. Artists and critics often refer to ‘emotional engagement’. What exactly is meant by this? ‘Immersion’ is an interesting idea around which the sorts of responses and reactions demanded of art audiences are to be considered.

There are Atul Bhalla’s photos of the regenerative ways of the body, and Nivedita Deshpande’s sculptures that are suspended from the ceiling casting shadows across the room. Archana Hande invites into her magical shop where one may ‘arrange one’ own marriage’ online. Chinmoy Pramanick employs the Facebook form of feed to understand how broadcast snippets tend to form the verbal web of interaction.

Baptist Coelho creates a distinction between private and public spaces. Dilip Chobisa’s room within a room subverts the fixed nature of defined space. Kausik Mukhopadhyay constructs a word jumble machine. Navin Thomas etches on black glass, to highlight the role of screens – computer and television – in our lives.