Escape Velocity: Martand Khosla’s Sculptural Meditation on Urban Systems and Human Flux

Martand Khosla’s first exhibition in Mumbai, Escape Velocity, at Nature Morte’s gallery in Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder, represents a defining moment in the artist’s ongoing exploration of urban systems, materiality, and the interplay of forces both visible and hidden. With a career that bridges the realms of art and architecture, Khosla has long been captivated by the city—not merely as a physical entity, but as a dynamic network of interactions, tensions, and transformative energies. This exhibition, his Mumbai debut, captures that spirit by reconfiguring familiar domestic elements into evocative statements about the urban condition.

Khosla describes Escape Velocity as “a continuation of a longer practice” that has evolved over the years into an intricate study of cities as systems. His earlier works investigated the large-scale aspects of urbanity while simultaneously zooming in on the intimate, often overlooked details that give shape to our everyday environments. In this show, he explains, his focus is on recognising “systems that inform cities” and capturing “moments of constant flux.” The exhibition, therefore, is not a departure from his previous work but a turning point where he intentionally breaks away from the boundaries and limits set in earlier sculptural endeavours.

Central to Khosla’s practice is his fascination with the physicality of materials. Wood, metal, and even commonplace objects such as doors, windows, and chairs are transformed through processes of bending, cutting, and burning. These processes are not merely mechanical; they serve as a medium through which the artist explores the inherent dynamism of form and the latent energy in everyday materials. As he observes, “The forms that I create respond to the larger ideas that have developed through the practice. This language has developed as a result of thinking around ideas of Force—in a literal as well as a political sense.” By engaging with elementary physics, Khosla finds himself “getting lost within this world of spin, force, velocity, equilibrium, orbit and momentum,” a state that reflects the very unpredictability of urban life.

Khosla’s architectural background lends his work a unique duality. His training has equipped him with the tools to analyse urban environments, but his sculptural practice allows him to reinterpret these spaces in more abstract, liberating ways. He explains that the two practices are “intimately connected intellectually, and yet formally they are very distinct.” His academic grounding in urbanism provides the foundation for understanding the world, yet it is through sculpture that he projects those understandings into tangible forms. Even when he employs “common construction materials,” the transformation of these elements into art speaks to his ability to reimagine what is familiar and impose new narratives upon it.

One of the exhibition’s most resonant themes is the idea of liberation from gravity—a metaphor that runs deep in Khosla’s work. The very title, Escape Velocity, refers to the minimum speed needed to overcome the gravitational pull of a larger mass. For Khosla, this concept serves as a powerful analogy for the way city systems impose constraints on individual elements within them. “The works are actually exploring larger systems, and the forms as a result become placeholders for an imagined microcosm as an integral part of these systems and trajectories,” he explains. In one of the pieces that bears the title, the sculpture becomes a visual representation of this struggle—a force that symbolises the push against gravitational limits, much like the urban components that strive to free themselves from the confines of their larger surroundings.

Khosla’s work in Escape Velocity also deftly negotiates the tension between the intimate and the abstract. He is particularly interested in how the micro—those everyday objects and domestic elements—can speak to the macro, reflecting broader societal, political, and physical forces. “The micro objects of dwelling still remain central to the mode of expression for me,” he notes, highlighting how these small-scale items create a strong link between the intimate experiences of individuals and the vast, often impersonal dynamics of city systems. It is this interplay that gives his work a layered complexity, inviting viewers to navigate between the tangible and the symbolic.

The exhibition is also a meditation on transformation—on the constant state of flux that characterises both material objects and the urban environments they inhabit. Khosla is captivated by the transitional moments inherent in construction, demolition, and transformation. He muses over how a static object might capture the essence of continuous motion, suggesting that even when an object appears unchanging, it is in fact in a state of “dynamic equilibrium,” simultaneously static and in motion. This thought is echoed in his description of the transformational process: “Transformation is cyclical at times, entropic at others, and in a state of dynamic equilibrium at other times. It can exist in city systems in a range of states and often in several states simultaneously.” Through his sculptures, Khosla endeavours to capture these ephemeral moments, offering viewers a glimpse into the perpetual dance between creation and dissolution.

Incorporating elements of his early work—when he engaged directly with the physicality of the urban landscape—Khosla draws upon his formative experiences. He recalls a time when his art emerged from a desire to document the tangible impacts of construction on communities, using everyday items like brick dust and rubber stamps as symbols of the transient yet indelible marks left by urban development. Over time, however, his focus has shifted towards a more nuanced investigation of urban processes. This evolution is palpable in Escape Velocity, where the architectural precision of his past converges with a newfound abstraction, resulting in pieces that are as intellectually provocative as they are visually compelling.

The gallery space itself becomes an integral part of the exhibition. Located on the third floor of Dhanraj Mahal, the Nature Morte Mumbai gallery offers a dynamic setting where Khosla’s sculptures can be experienced from multiple perspectives. Unlike works confined to the walls, many pieces in Escape Velocity are designed to be viewed in the round, encouraging a physical engagement that mirrors the movement inherent in urban life. The spatial arrangement invites visitors to circumnavigate the sculptures, discovering new details and patterns with every step—a deliberate challenge to the traditional, static mode of viewing art.

Yet, amid all these conceptual explorations, Khosla remains deliberately open to the interpretations of his audience. He does not seek to dictate a singular narrative; rather, he hopes that the titles, materials, and arrangements serve as starting points for individual exploration. “I don’t [control the viewer’s reading],” he remarks, noting that while he provides direction through his choices of words and form, the ultimate meaning is a collaborative creation between the work and its observer. This openness to diverse readings underscores the democratic nature of his art—each viewer brings a unique perspective to the encounter, making every experience of Escape Velocity inherently personal.

Escape Velocity is more than a sculptural exhibition—it’s a dynamic exploration of urban life and the forces that shape it. Through transformed materials and reimagined domestic forms, Martand Khosla invites viewers to reflect on the invisible systems that govern our environments. Blending architectural insight with poetic abstraction, his work challenges us to see cities not just as built spaces, but as living, evolving ecosystems. The show offers a compelling meditation on motion, transformation, and the human experience within the modern metropolis.

Escape Velocity is on view at Nature Morte, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai, until 12 April 2025.