Ahmedabad's contemporary art scene has found a rare global moment, and just in time for World Sculpture Day, marked worldwide on April 25, with city-based sculptor Rakesh Patel set to become the first Indian artist to have a work installed at Jardin de Sculptures du Grand Launay, a globally renowned sculpture park in Semblançay, Indre-et-Loire, France.
The historic estate's sculpture garden is led by collector and contemporary art expert Jean-Marc Decrop, known for championing Chinese contemporary art long before it gained global momentum. His park features works by more than 250 artists from Europe, China, Africa, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and the United States.
The connection that led to Patel's work travelling to France came through city-based gallerist and curator Harssh Shah, founder of Iram Art Gallery. "Jean Marc and I have been close art world friends and associates for a while now. We met at an art event in Paris, and our mutual interest in contemporary art got us talking," Shah told Ahmedabad Mirror.
When Decrop saw Patel's corten steel sculpture, Shah said, the response was immediate. "He realised this was a talent that needed a public space where the world could come and see the work. He saw the potential in Rakesh Patel to become a globally renowned artist."
For Shah, the journey has also been about correcting a local gap. "Very few contemporary artists from Ahmedabad or Gujarat have truly made a mark internationally," he said. "I took it up as a challenge to nurture Patel's practice, reinforce confidence during low phases, expose him to global practices and give him a wider platform." He said the transformation has taken five years of sustained work.
The selected sculpture, The Architectural Maze-2, reflects Patel's long engagement with geometry, memory and sacred form. "The work emerges from my ongoing exploration of geometry as a sacred language," Patel, mentored by veteran artist Manu Parekh, said. "I am interested in how circles, arcs and intersecting planes can carry both structural and symbolic meaning."
He described the sculpture as inspired by meditative diagrams, yantras and fragments of temple architecture. "The use of corten steel was important. Its ability to weather and transform over time allows the sculpture to feel both contemporary and timeless," he said.
For the artist, the move from studio to public landscape is the real reward. "In a sculpture park, the work is no longer isolated - it interacts with light, weather and people. It becomes part of a living environment," Patel said.
The work has been crated and is undergoing customs clearance before being flown to France, with installation expected by May or June.