With Future Remains, Sudarshan Shetty presents his fourth solo exhibition at Galerie Krinzinger in Vienna. The exhibition evokes a fictional narrative that unfolds through a collection of objects acquired at flea markets in Mumbai. These seemingly mundane and now redundant objects are presented as the remnants of a man’s life, left behind to tell his story. The exhibition blurs the line between reality and imagination, inviting visitors to explore the fragments of an unknown past. Each object — a timeworn suitcase, utensils, typewriter, camera, and other personal objects — projects an intimate portrait of the man’s existence, raising questions about memory, legacy, and the stories we construct from what is left behind. Through this poetic assemblage, Future Remains invites contemplation on the passage of time and the meaning imbued in everyday possessions that we gather around ourselves.
A video installation and the associated sculptural work create a dialog between transience and permanence, spontaneity and control. The video shows objects falling to the floor against a dark background, each impact generating a distinct sound that contributes to a rhythmic, musical composition. The visual choreography of the falls, combined with the carefully timed beats, transforms the random into a deliberate symphony of motion and sound. What deepens the experience is the presence of these same objects, meticulously replicated in wood. Painstakingly carved by hand, these wooden sculptures mirror the falling objects from the video, capturing every detail as it is displayed on a table. The delicate craftsmanship reflects the fragility of the original items, and the labour-intensive process contrasts with the fleeting, chaotic nature of their falls. This dialogue invites viewers to experience the tension between the ephemeral moment of a fall and the perceived timelessness of art and its projection towards a future consumption of an imagined history.
