India and China—the world's biggest democracy and the largest Communist dictatorship—have significant political and economic clout. Although less publicized, their artistic talents have also gained global traction in recent years. The exhibition “Window in the Wall: China and India—Imaginary Conversations” brings the countries’ dual art output together for the first time in Shanghai. Curators Gayatri Sinha and Gao Minglu have gathered the work of 15 contemporary Indian and Chinese artists, spreading the pieces over the huge space at Pearl Lam’s beautiful new gallery near the Bund.

The most compelling piece is Keralan artist Gigi Scaria’s photo composite, Equator, which splices The Bund with the skyline of an Indian shanty town, forcing the two countries into an uncomfortable symbiosis. The slum landscape sits below the austere grey Bund as if mirrored in the river, luring comparisons between India and China and their colonial influences.

One of the most interesting finds, Sharmila Samant’s video installation Global Clones clashes modern and traditional. A pair of actual Nike sneakers sits on concrete, as a film plays above them featuring a variety of old-style Indian sandals and slippers pacing the ground. The implication? Globalization erases regional identities by replacing cultural heritage with sterile newness.

The most impressive piece in the whole show is a political foray by Chongqing-based sculptor Li Zhanyang. In Contemplation of Four Great Figures, a full-sized Mao shares the stage with Lenin, Stalin and Marx. The leaders sit together, facing each other, hands braced on knees, staring at a fixed point on the ground. The work features incredible detail (especially in the carved folds and padding of Mao’s suit) and provokes questions about leadership, dictatorship and the sins of past generations.

An accessible yet challenging overview of Chinese and Indian contemporary art, “Window in the Wall” manages to find common ground while respecting differences. The contrasts make for one of the best exhibitions we’ve seen in a long time.

DETAILS

What: Window in the Wall: China and India—Imaginary Conversations

Where: Pearl Lam Fine Art

When: Now through Nov. 30

www.pearllam.com