India is one of the countries in the world with the most rock art sites. The majority of them are in the centre of the country located in the current state of Madhya Pradesh. Particularly noteworthy are the paintings of the Satpura, Vindhya and Kaimur mountain ranges. These regions are made mostly of sandstone, a type of stone that wears down relatively quickly to form shelters and caves, which are also located within thick forest, making them ecologically ideal for occupation in the past.

These shelters were used from the Stone Age by the first people, maintaining their occupation until later periods, and depicting animal and human representations and signs on walls and ceilings. When art first appeared, it appeared full-blown in a technically and aesthetically sophisticated fashion.

One of the most important characteristics of Indian rock art is that it goes on being revered by the local people. This persistence of age-old beliefs and ceremonies concerning rock art sites has become extremely rare in the world nowadays and unfortunately it is fast coming to an end, even in India. Loss of meaning may entail loss of respect and eventually degradations and loss of the site itself. The more recent rock art of the past often has a direct connection to the tribal art of the present: traditional ceremonies, followed since time immemorial, are still taking place in various painted shelters at auspicious times of the year which thus give an unexpected new dimension to Indian rock art, bringing the rock art to life and giving it a relevance. It is not a dusty relic, but in fact an active portal to power and knowledge. Sadly, however, whilst rock art is still potent, it is increasingly delicate.

Organiza | Organized
Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira | Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte

Financia | Funding
Subdirección General de Museos Estatales | Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte

Comisaria | Curator
Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak, investigadora independiente y experta en arte rupestre Independent Rock Art Researcher and Expert, Bhopal

Coordinadora | Coordinator
Pilar Fatás (Museo de Altamira)

Imágenes | Photos
Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak
Vishnu Shreedhar Wakankar

Dibujos | Drawing
J. Cockburn
F. Fawcett
C.W. Anderson
D.H. Gordon

Gestión documental | Documentation Management
Maricer González (Museo de Altamira)
Ana López Pajarón (Museo Nacional de Antropología)

Diseño | Design
Nexo

Montaje | Installation
Serisan

Transporte | Transport
SIT

Seguro | Insurance
Correduría: Poolsegur
Aseguradora: Scor Europe S.E.

Agradecimientos | Acknowledgments
Indian Army for Exploring Ladakh area
The Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh State
The Forest Department of Chhattisgarh State
The Culture Department (Raipur, Chhattisgarh)
Wakankar Research Institute (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)
INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage) New Delhi
Fernando Sáez Lara, Ana López Pajarón y Ana Gracia Rivas (Museo Nacional de Antropología)

Y especialmente a | And especially to
Vishnu Shreedhar Wakankar, Jean Clottes (France), Vivek Dhand (Chief Secretary, Raipur), Rakesh
Chatuervedi (Chairman, Bio Diversity, Raipur), Amru, Lakshmi, Mohan, Netam, Prabhat, Bhodumal,
Ajay, Jitendra, Sonam, Om Prakash, Luv Shekhawat, Abhimanyu, Kushagra and all people from
different villages.

Esta exposición es fruto de la colaboración establecida en el marco de la red Rock Art Network creada por el Getty Conservation Institute y la Bradshaw Foundation.

This exhibition is the result of the collaboration in the framework of the Rock Art Network, formed by the https://www.getty.edu/conservation/ and the Bradshaw Foundation.

New publication Powerful Images: Chhattisgarh Rock Art & Tribal Art by Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak & Jean Clottes.

Discover more about the Rock Art of India.

→ Discover more about the Rock Art Network
→ Members and affiliated institutions of the Rock Art Network