In a darkened room, four rows of burka-clad mannequins are staring at a seated couple. The ‘couple’, also mannequin-like, are adorned with gold and silver tinsel and their wooden feet, attached to the legs of their chairs, are shaped like cow hooves. Behind them, a looped video that depicts a cow being slaughtered is projected on the wall.

This is the installation, Toys are Watching Toys, 2002 by Bangladeshi artist Mahbubur Rahman.

While the average viewer may be able to recognize piecemeal artistic references, the overall work will probably remain opaque, shrouded in the confusing realm of contemporary Indian art.

It is this gap, between the public and the artist that The Devi Art Foundation aims to bridge, through exhibitions curated from an expansive private collection of contemporary art.

Anupam Poddar, co-founder of the space, said the Foundation further aims to connect with audiences, who may have been previously unfamiliar with contemporary art, through outreach programs, panel discussions and talks which revolve around current shows.

Through such resources, one may be able to decipher Rahman’s Toys are Watching Toys as a wedding scene which feels like a courtroom as a result of the rows of judging faces. Also, the video likens the fate of the woman to a cow slaughtered in a busy market.

Started in 2008 by Anupam Poddar and his mother, Lekha Poddar, this not-for-profit space was the culmination of years of collecting contemporary art from all over the subcontinent.

“When the collection became sizeable, there was a need for reaching out to the public and the Devi Art Foundation was envisaged with pedagogic functions in mind,” says Anupam. “The Foundation is a platform for the convergence of cutting edge, experimental art in the sub-continent and the collection is growing to include such works from greater Asia.”

Located in the satellite city of Gurgaon, the Foundation is set amongst the city’s checkerboard of empty lots and modern complexes

The gallery is a two-storied, bronze-colored building with the high ceilings and polished concrete floors of a converted warehouse.

Because it is non-commercial, Poddar believes the Foundation has an edge over other galleries as curators can work outside the confines and pressures of commercial success.

“Young and daring curators can be given space for experimentation. Such curatorial ventures can lead to fresh perspectives which may not be available from the predictable curators in the commercial circuit,” says Poddar.

Curators have access to the Lekha and Anupam Poddar Collection from which they can choose pieces to help develop curatorial themes. The Foundation also commissions artists to work around various themes.

Indeed, in a town where the shocking and the decorative are still the usual suspects when it comes to exhibited work, years of avid art collection, has allowed for the Poddar Collection to evolve beyond what can be seen in most galleries across Delhi.

Presently the Foundation features three exhibitions.

In one room, a selection of Rahman’s works spanning over a decade are on display. There are colorful self-portraits that are reminiscent of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo’s work. Beautiful Angels are Flying for Peace, 2007 features an installation of hanging, plastic dolls with wings; some ‘angels’ are suspended in wire cages. At irregular intervals, they flutter and whir in an unsettling way.

Another room features Indian artist, L. N. Tallur’s The Souvenir Maker, 2009 which fills the space with a monstrous, barbed wire-making machine. As proffered on the Foundation’s website, the barbed wire alludes to the aggressive demarcation of geo-political spaces.

The third room showcases 208 miniature works by four Sri Lankan artists who, over two years, kept up a cycle of exchanging drawings that were created in response to received drawings, much in the same way that the Surrealists had the game of the ‘exquisite corpse.’

Aside from the exhibitions, the dynamic team at the Devi Art Foundation ensures that the space is constantly evolving and involved in other projects.

Most recently, the Foundation, in conjunction with a Hong Kong-based art research organization, ran the Dream Museum project.

Orange and green custom-designed post-cards were distributed to schools and professionals so that people could doodle or scribble down what museum they’d like to see.

Poddar said this was an exercise to archive the dreams of everyday people who were given the chance to think about a space for an art institution.

In the year to come, the Foundation will showcase contemporary Pakistani art curated by artist, Rashid Rana and also work produced by artists who were commissioned to create pieces for a Folk and Tribal art theme.

With the Devi Art Foundation taking a prominent place in the Indian contemporary art scene, what is it about the mother and son duo that makes them great collaborators?

Anupam has an idea.

“She is a very experienced lady in collecting art, with whom I can have productive arguments and sometimes win.”