What’s past, they say, is prologue. Just as rappers perpetually mine funk and soul and electronic bands turn their ears toward the New Wave that defined the 1980s, Indian artists of today reinterpret the styles and sensibilities of medieval temple sculptures, centuries-old glass paintings, and tapestries of ancient India in their work. Traditional images and figures portraying romantic intrigues, royal families, and village life are presented side by side with contemporary worksthey have inspired in “ReVisions: Indian Artists Engaging Traditions,” an exhibit that opened earlier this month and runs through April 2010 at the Peabody Essex Museum (161 Essex Street, Salem, 978.745.9500). You probably left the theater after Slumdog Millionaire with stately images of the Taj Mahal and the urban whir of Mumbai flashing through your mind to the kinetic beats of “Jai Ho.” Take a quick road trip to Salem and see that dialogue between past and present play out on a smaller scale. Bollywood soundtrack not provided. Tickets are $15 ($11 for students).
