The 8.56 CSMT fast from Kalyan is not a place for artistic contemplation. Yet, it was in those crowded confines that this writer worked out the intricacies of Subodh Gupta’s art on the way to Dhanraj Mahal in Colaba. The heritage structure has a new resident in the Delhi-based art gallery, Nature Morte. Founded by Peter Nagy in 1997, the gallery has developed into a hotspot for contemporary Indian artists such as Gupta, Asim Waqif, Martand Khosla, Bharti Kher and Tanya Goel among others. As we walk into the space, it is slowly waking up to prepare for the opening of their first exhibition tomorrow, A small village, around the corner, up in a mountain by Gupta.

Nagy walks us through the gallery, rough and raw in its form. “We wanted to let the space speak for itself, and not whitewash it,” he explains. Designed by Rajiv Saini, the interiors blend the exposed texture of concrete walls with elegant touches inspired indirectly by Japanese architect Tadao Ando’s style, the curator shares. “We love the juxtaposition of the raw space with detailed sophistication. Many galleries look great, but tend to feel similar to New York. We wanted to make this feel like India, and its complexities,” Nagy remarks, pointing to the wood-panelled heritage windows letting in the light.