Empire of the Coin and the Weight of Labour
At Mandapo, the artist-led alternative space in Mumbai’s Fort district, Aatish Khobragade’s solo exhibition Empire of the Coin explores labour, value, and the emotional weight of survival under capitalism. Curated by art writer and editor Sushama Sabnis, the exhibition brings together large-format circular paintings and a kinetic sculptural installation. Together, these works extend Khobragade’s ongoing inquiry into the lived realities of economic systems.
Moreover, Sabnis frames the exhibition through a striking duality: “the glitter of metal conceals the ache of human endurance.” Her curatorial text situates Khobragade’s practice within a moral and experiential terrain. Here, the city emerges not only as a site of aspiration but also as a structure of repetition, fatigue, and unresolved promise. Furthermore, the works draw from the artist’s own negotiations with the systems he now critiques.
Labour, Motion, and Survival
Khobragade’s intervention lies in the tension between motion and stasis. The sculpture, like the paintings, resists spectacle in favour of slow revelation. As Sabnis writes, “the trolley becomes a quiet indictment of a civilisation that confuses motion with progress.” In addition, each element accumulates symbolic weight and points to burdens carried across class lines, including necessity, debt, and anxiety.
However, even within this immobility, a fragile persistence remains. The balls continue to spin, creating a subtle sense of movement within an otherwise static structure. As a result, the work encourages viewers to think about how labour and economic systems shape everyday experiences.
Mandapo and the Exhibition Context
Presented at Mandapo, the exhibition also reflects the ethos of the space itself. Founded in 2025 by artist Sujiet Podar and patron Manish Dalal, Mandapo operates as a site for process-driven and experimental practices. In particular, the space draws from the architectural idea of the mandapa, a place associated with gathering and discourse.
Therefore, Mandapo seeks to create conditions for artistic risk and critical engagement. In this context, Empire of the Coin aligns with the space’s vision by foregrounding a practice that is both materially rigorous and socially attentive.
Ultimately, Empire of the Coin connects personal experience with wider questions about labour and economic survival. The exhibition encourages viewers to consider how everyday systems of value shape movement, anxiety, and human relationships.
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