When art meme-cks life

The formidable aura of white cube art galleries, incomprehensible artworks, jargon-dripping wall texts and catalogues, and overt intellectualising of the dialogue around art… many label the contemporary art world as 'snooty' and 'impenetrable'. Is the setting a conspiracy to discourage the not so well off and those who don't consider 'art' their intellectual cup of tea? "Yes, that's exactly what it is", says Abhinit Khanna, whose #artworldmemes has rattled many in the art frat. Khanna creates memes using snapshots of Bollywood actors caught in ridiculous costumes or poses as backdrop for announcing unpleasant truths about the art world.

"My memes subversively address problems of the 21st-century art world," says the Rochester Institute of Technology grad and Mumbai-based arts consultant, who has worked with the likes of artists Jitish Kallat. As expected, not everyone is pleased. While some let his jibes go with a nervous chuckle, few have outrightly blocked him on their social media pages. "One curator even blocked a few of my friends who were vocal about her politics," says Khanna, whose memes lament at the current bleak state of the arts – dearth of public interest, philanthropy, fresh narratives and new voices.

Gallerists not returning artworks and paying low or delaying commissions, or artists striking a deal in private without the gallerist's consent... are other concerns he's meme-ed, which have also resonated in Pakistani art world that Khanna says share these same woes as the rest of the subcontinent.

In one of Khanna's most popular memes, Juhi Chawla awkwardly hugs Govinda, both sporting hideous cellophane tube dresses, with crumpled aluminum foil sash and mittens as jazzy accessories. The meme reads, 'What grants for artists by Government of India feel like', a comment on the government's miserly attitude towards the arts. In another meme, he sums up the innate obsession with 'white' curators – Salman Khan (desi artist) pining for tea in a white cup and saucer (white curator) with tweaked lyrics, 'Tum Meri Chai ki Pyaali Ho (you are my cup of tea)'. Another Salman meme hints at sexual predators in the art world. Whether Khanna will go ahead with that #HimToo plan is much awaited, in the mean time, the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) has become a fresh target. In one meme, the curator of the 2018 KMB edition, artist Anita Dube, wears a frown and holds up an imaginary phone receiver, and the blurb reads, 'When you call up the KMB office to check if your edition will have the same budget as other male curators in the past'. But this meme, Khanna says, was just intended as speculation and not to offend. "Powerful people in the art world run KMB and I just critiqued that power. I understand KMB is a big event to run and not an easy task, and that KMB has done great work... just not always!" he says, pointing out how ex-CEO Manju Rajan quit in April citing financial irregularity in the organisation. Khanna also can't fathom why KMB 2018 is still being held in the aftermath of the floods, when even the Kerala government has cancelled all government-funded events. "I don't see why we need contemporary art in a calamity. But that's my take, and that said, you cannot stop anyone from critiquing an art event."At times, however, he feels like a scapegoat, goaded to produce memes on a subject, on demand from persistent fans. "That's when I switch off my notifications or post pictures of my niece."

Apart from producing memes, Khanna was invited to be part of the TIFA Meme Regime panel early September, which analysed the burgeoning meme culture and its impact towards socio-eco-political fabric. The meme-churner also generates merchandise such as postcards, coffee mugs and stickers as his advocates of "guerrilla marketing because these 'provocations' make great conversation starters". But after a year of creating some very radical, gutsy memes, Khanna has learnt to "design responsibly. I now crosscheck every meme with friends before publishing as these can affect someone's mental health and create controversies...."