A rendez-vous with Subodh Gupta

Why did you call the first retrospective of your work in France "Adda/Rendez-vous"? The title also applies to a work created specifically for the exhibition at the Paris Mint. Can you tell us about it? Adda is very difficult to translate, but it can be roughly defined as a place where people gather to chat and have casual intellectual discussions – a kind of cultural hangout. Like the image we have of the regular debates prevalent in Ancient Greece in the time of Socrates and Plato, addas are generally held in somewhat open, public spaces. The word also describes a get-together between friends for long, informal conversations, often about politics and topical issues. The work called Adda is set up in one of the outer courtyards of the Mint. It was made specifically for this exhibition. I think it’s interesting because it encourages the public not just to look at the work but also to walk through it and interact with it. The pillars in the work are inspired by Indian temple pillars, but also evoke those of Greek and Roman times. They are classic elements of both Indian and European public…