In 1975, Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, declared a state of emergency that began a 21-month stretch of mass arrests, political oppression, and forced mass sterilization. Twenty-three years later, the Indian government successfully completed the Pokhran nuclear tests, establishing the country as a nuclear power. The years between these two events represent a period of immense change in India, marked by civil unrest, economic collapse, and rapid urbanization. At the Barbican, a new exhibition features paintings, sculptures, and photographs by 25 Indian artists who addressed daily life during those 23 turbulent years. —Paulina Prosnitz