(New York, NY) The Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is proud to announce its winter exhibition, On Absence, on view from November 13 2025 through February 6 2026, celebrated with an opening reception on Thursday November 13, 2025 from 5 – 7:30PM. Curated and co-curated by Achia Anzi and Oorja Garg, the exhibition explores the dynamics of absence and presence through the artworks of contemporary Indian artists. Experimenting with the impossible task of displaying nothingness, the exhibition explores the political possibilities opened up by the art of concealment.
To display absence is not only impossible but also counterintuitive, as art, at least in its current form, engages with showing, unfolding, and revealing. The artworks on display experiment with the impossible and counterintuitive task of displaying absence. How can one show absence? How to hide instead of reveal? And what are the political possibilities opened up by the art of concealment?
The works in this exhibition explore themes specific to the South Asian experience, including the politics of caste, the legacies of colonialism, the intergenerational impact of partition, gaps in the historical record, and pervasive histories of communal violence.
Public Programs
In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery will host a range of public programs designed to foster dialogue and collective reflection:
- Opening Reception: Thursday November 13, 2025 | 5 – 7:30PM
- Catalog Launch: January 2026 (TBD), An event featuring conversation between Achia Anzi and Anupama Rao.
Exhibition Dates
November 13, 2025 – February 6, 2026
Artists
Payal Arya, Yogesh Barve, Sonam Chaturvedi, Priyanka D’Souza, Priyesh Gothwal, Priyank Gothwal, Shilpa Gupta, Rahul Juneja, Shaurya Kumar, Swati Kumari, Raqs Media Collective, Mohit Shelare
Venue
Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery
860 11th Ave, New York, NY 10019
For more information, please contact Dr Macushla Robinson:
Email: marobinson@jjay.cuny.edu
Phone: 646-923-5160
Website: www.shivagallery.org
About the Curators
Achia Anzi is an artist, researcher and curator based in New Delhi. Anzi is an associate professor of visual arts at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat (India). Anzi’s translation of the short stories of Urdu author Saadat Hassan Manto was published in Hebrew by Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House (2018).
Oorja Garg is a curator and researcher from New Delhi with a background in Art History and Design, her curatorial practice focuses on interdisciplinary research, visual storytelling, and public engagement. Her work examines the intersections of popular culture, technology, science, with ongoing projects on Game Theory and Astrobiology. She holds an MA in Curatorial Practice at the School of Visual Arts, New York and an MA in Art History and Aesthetics from MS University of Baroda. She is currently based in Brooklyn.
About The Gallery
Located within the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery is uniquely positioned at the intersection of art and justice. Its programming explores complex societal issues through contemporary art, offering critical space for dialogue, dissent, and negotiations of themes of justice.
(text & photo courtesy of Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery)
