Subraan, Tracing Layers, Emerging Lines and more..

NEWS

Wo/Man: From the Personal to the Political

( Work on display)

Sir J J School of Art presents an exhibition which looks at the deeper cultural roots of the construction of gender identities and of the relationship between men and women in urban India today. Eight young artists Salik Ansari, Shruti Bhosle, Makarand Dhotre, Yogesh Kamble, Lini Radhakrishnan, Aditya Rajput, Jinal Sangoi and Kruttika Sequeira have come together to showcase their work in the show titled, ‘Wo/Man: From the personal to the political’.

The exhibition looks for connections between the ideas of gender and safety, exclusion and inclusion, protection and segregation. The show plans to use various mediums like sculpture, painting, print, photography, video and performance to explore several ideas of gender.

This exhibition attempts to create a socio-political dialogue not only within the artistic environment the young artists work in but also the city they live in. By analysing the ways of categorising, constructing and representing gender, the artists suggest alternate gender identities through a critique of the framework of our normative gender binary.    

The show is on view till 14th March 2014.

Subraan

( work by Ramesh Gurav)

Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai presents the exquisite figurative works of eminent artist Raosaheb Gurav. The show is titled, ‘Subraan’ and will display the vibrant and colourful works of the artist. Raosaheb’s works usually feature the rural and village life, with special focus on the village folk and various communities, from places like Kolhapur and Pune. The ar work in this particular exhibition focuses on the ‘Dhanngar’ community, who rear cattle. The works portray landscapes, rural lives and farmlands with the protagonists at their everyday jobs as goat and cow herds. The works are rendered in various mediums like water colours, oils, acrylics pen and inks.

The show is on view till 4th March 2014.

Emerging Lines

( work on display)

Mahua Art Gallery, Bangalore presents a show titled, ‘Emerging Lines’, a new series of works by artist Shirley Mathew who expresses her perceptions of a growing city, through her paintings. Using colours to portray the seasons interspersed with geometrical forms, suggests the viewer to go through a journey and make their own impression of the representational icons used to convey the message.    

Her observations during a recent journey through Italy making note of the aesthetics of humanity merging at times with what she believes is uncompromising terrain, was truly inspiring enough to do a series to paintings. Shirley has great interest in organizing annual art awareness shows, to connect with people and to create an environment for an informal viewing of art in her studio courtyard.   

The show is on till 8th March 2014.

Tracing Layers

Ananya Drishya and Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore present a solo show of art works by the artist Ramesh Kalkur. The show is titled, ‘Tracing Layers’. Ramesh completed Diploma in painting at Ken School of Art, Bangalore 1990, Post Diploma in Painting at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda 1993 and M A in Painting at Royal College of Art, London, 1996. Held several solo exhibitions including  'Assemblages' at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai 1994, Traveling show of photographs, Sakshi Art Gallery, Bangalore, British Council Gallery, Chennai, Chitram Art Gallery, Cochin 1998, ”11 X 11” at Sumukha Art Gallery among several others.

He received the Inlaks grant for artist in residence at Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad, 1991, Inlaks Foundation Scholarship and Overseas Development Association shared scholarship scheme to study at Royal College of Art, 1994 – 96, John Minton Travel Grant for three months exchange program to study at Art college in Berlin.

The show commences on 8th March 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

New contexts of tradition

The exhibition 2D3D by Gallery-g at the Taj West End showcases traditional ideas in a Western aesthetic

(Normalising the gods)

The East and West come together, in the exhibition of ‘fusion art’ titled ‘2D3D’ presented by Gallery-g at the Taj West End.

The exhibition features three artists — Priti Singh, Kandi Narasimalu and Sri Lanka-based Leo Pasquale. The three artists deal with a range of subjects that span across timelines in human history, from the ancient/mythological, the old and the modern.

Priti Singh expresses her love for Indian mythology through her series of paintings depicting Indian Gods and Goddesses in a rather contemporary context. The Gods and Goddesses, in all their finery are seen performing every task, Shiva lounges on the sofa with a drink while the Devi, seated above on a carpet is adorning herself with lipstick and nail polish. In another instance, he is seen doing his tandav with an electric guitar (complete with an amplifier in the background).

Priti also depicts a divine family scene where Shiva and his consort are bathing Ganesha. Shiva pours water while the Devi scrubs him. Karthikeya meanwhile is bathing himself in a blue bathtub. “I have always been fascinated by Indian mythology because I belong to Benares and my family used to spend a lot of time visiting temples. So this always reflects in my paintings,” says Priti. “But I don’t think God only slays demons and helps us solve our problems from somewhere above. I think Gods also lead normal lives like us,” says Priti.

Priti’s Gods are painted in vivid fluorescent shades set against light backgrounds. She draws her inspiration from the walls of Ujjain, Benares and rural Rajasthan, where the figures are often painted in these shades. Priti says she also draws her imagery from the tradition of the Gonds, among whom she has spent time working.

Kandi Narasimalu meanwhile is preoccupied with the life and the people of rural Andhra. His canvases are filled with tall, strong frames of the women and men on Andhra’s heartlands. The women are dark-skinned, with lean figures and curvy bosoms. They wear shiny golden jewellery, which the artist draws attention to through his embellishments. Their attire is vibrant, contrasting with their dark skin.

The women are seen gossiping, dressing themselves in front of the mirror with a comb tucked in the folds of their saris and carrying their wares over their heads.

“In my paintings I usually depict my family and their lifestyle in the village and so my works have a distinct rural aesthetic. The traditional culture in the villages is fast disappearing; so many aspects of our heritage are disappearing. So I have tried to draw attention to some of these tangible aspects of our heritage,” says Narasimalu, whose imagery is deeply inspired by his work in the field of 2D animation, in its minimalism of line and form.

The exhibition also features works by Leo Pasquale. ‘2D3D’ will be on view at the Taj West End, Race Course Road, until March 3rd 2014.

(Report by Harshini Vakkalanka for The Hindu)

Melange '14, Formes and Lumiere, Dreamlike Dimension and more..

NEWS

Formes and Lumiere

( work on display)

Alliance Francaise de Delhi, presents an exhibition and light show by light sculptor Patrick Rimoux. Patrick Rimoux is a contemporary artist and engineer, who works primarily with French technologies. As a light sculptor, Rimoux modulates light and uses it as an artistic medium. Rimoux’s projection at Alliance Francaise has been inspired by five different elements: Architecture, Range of light, Kaleidoscope of his recent paintings in Jaipur city, Seasons and richness of Bollywood cinema. Rimoux’s projects are primarily urban sized and he works with well directed spaces and architectural ensembles to integrate light into the urban landscape. He uses light reflection to make his integration look organic and natural. The show Formes and Lumiere showcases 3 aspects of Patrick’s works: 

Photographs of his works
Video installation & projection
His artistic work which focuses on cinematography films that crystallize the question of revealing light- Patrick has used raw 35 mm film material and has painted on these negatives’ to highlight different aspects of projecting light.

The show is on view till 9th February 2014.

Fractures in Colour

( work on display)

Artisans Gallery, Mumbai presents a show titled, ‘Fractures in Colour: An Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings’ by artist Anando Dutta. 

The images of this exhibition try to capture evidences of some fragments of who we are and where we belong, while seeking some embedded ones we don’t care to look for, and then others that are assigned to belong to the vault of memory. All set locked in moments of time, somewhere deep in our subconscious. This collection is an intermingling of many parts.

The show is on view from 20th February to 25th February 2014.

Melange '14

Prakrit Arts Gallery, Chennai presents ‘Melange’ a unique art show by eminent artists.  Artists will be painting on doors, metal trunks, chairs and cupboards to display their versatility. 
On 14th February, there will be a workshop for 14 years and above on canvas shoes painting. Morning walkers and joggers will experience a very artistic twist to their exercise regime. Limited registration for the show painting workshop. Last date for application is 10th February 2014.

The show is on view from 10th February to 14th February 2014.

Dreamlike Dimension

( work on display)

Piramal Art Gallery, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai presents a compilation of photographs shot by photographer Fiorenzo Senese about the mesmerising city of 'Aamchi Mumbai'. 

Senese is an Italian manager and photographer, born in Rome in 1964 and now living in Mumbai. He took his first steps in photography when he was merely a teen, using his father’s camera, a Zeiss Ikon 1954 make, which he still utilizes every now and then.Through overexposures, underexposures, graining and out-of-focuses, he strengthens the image, going beyond the conventional use of the camera. No photograph has been altered in postproduction.

The show is on view from 11th February to 21st February 2014.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Art for a Cause

The exhibition hosted by Gallery Time and Space at the Ritz-Carlton featured a variety of artwork by both established and emerging artists

( From animal figures to landscapes to abstract floral forms, the canvas had many things; a work by Shubhashis Mandal)

Gallery Time and Space, in collaboration with the Itech Law and The Ritz Carlton recently hosted an exhibition of paintings over the weekend featuring a range of artists.

The show was held to raise funds through a part of the show’s proceedings, for PallCanCare, an NGO that works with palliative cancer patients.

The exhibition showcased both experienced artists like A.V. Ilango, Dhiraj Choudhury and Arpita Kar as well as upcoming artists like Shiva Prasanna, Pragati Dalvi, Shubhashis Mandal and Rudragaud Indi.

Shiva Prasanna’s artworks mainly featured etchings of animal figures, mostly birds, including an owl and a hog. His etchings were detailed, intricate and realistically composed.

Suparna Mondal also works with etching and printmaking, producing fantastical images in shades of black and white with a touch of red, composed of bicycles, barred windows and strips of patterns. Her woodcut on the other hand features almost psychedelic human figures in shades of red and black.

While Manisha Kumar featured abstract floral forms in vibrant hues set against textured, contrasting backgrounds composed of spatters of paints against solid coloured backgrounds.

Both Shubhashis Mandal and Santanu Roy featured landscapes in watercolours. While Shubhashis featured quaint, sunny corners of towns crammed with houses, a few cars, roadside cafes and pedestrians, Santanu’s landscapes showcased the hillside, or hilly backdrops.

Sanjiv Sankpal’s paintings evoke the rustic, with his village landscapes featuring cowherds with their cattle in lush environs or a group of women in front of their homes surrounded by their cattle. His figures are simple, vibrant and evoke a sense of belongingness.

While Rudragaud Indi works are more surreal, featuring a boy next to a large white paper boat, blowing puffy white clouds like bubbles standing in a desert.

Or a cracking boat in lime green water with a statue balanced on its right edge and a large fish balanced on its left with a life preserver around its suspended oar. Sharks (presumably) surround the boat.

The exhibition also featured works by Bonny Hazuria and Girish Kulkarni.

(Report by Harshini Vakkalanka for The Hindu)

Profile Pragati Dalvi, Nature Series, Rang De and more..

PROFILE

A Ballet of the Unuttered

A calmness ensues the hectic activity of things. Like a stray piece of paper performing a solo ballet under a street lamp on a dark morning to an only witness. A silent commune of energies in unuttered syllables. Probably the same nondescript piece of paper had been the centre of a midnight dust storm, an observer in complete stillness. At once a performer in the limelight and at once the unmoving spectator in a swirling dust tornado. This is how artist Pragati Dalvi’s work mutates from being an artist’s act and a silent reflection of events, observes Sushma Sabnis.

( Artist Pragati Dalvi)

Pragati Dalvi has a BFA degree in Painting and MFA in Creative Painting from Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai. Her medium of making art varies from water colour to oils and inks on paper. She has recently stepped into the realm of experimental photography as well.

When one looks at the paintings by Pragati, one would be aware of the obvious influences of nature in them. It would be too easy to type cast them as nature abstracts, but on closer observation, one could see the interplay of metaphors and a conscious study of the subject at hand. Most of them are rendered as abstractions of sensory stimuli and memory sources, but what takes them a step further would be their multiple implications. The artist tries to capture an emotion exactly as it was experienced, an intangible ethereal emotion she has felt at the instant in response to the external stimulus. Hence the works can either appear as if painted hurriedly or at leisure as if savouring a moment of beauty and sensitivity to make it last much longer than its original occurrence.

( Blue After Rain -I)

Also captured in the works are multiple essences of an experience. In an interview Pragati talks about the sensorial aspects of an experience. As an artist she tries to capture what the senses say initially and then she urges the viewer to take this sensory response to a transcended level of a lingering moment. A midnight sky, may appear in the mind’s eye as  black or dark grey to most, but to Pragati this very midnight sky is a palette of blues, purples, mauves and violet shades. This palette is kept to a minimum of colours and most of her works in the ‘Pause’ series are an interpretation of the influence of this muse of memory of one moment in time. 

(Red in Rain)

For example, a sunset in the summer induces far different feelings in the viewer than a sunset in the monsoon or winter. Moreover the location from where it would be experienced and with whom, would impart a new meaning to this experience. Intermingled with a liberal dose of emotional catalysts, the images that emerge are a blend of the sensorial, the reactionary and the imagined in complete aesthetical harmony.

(Blue After Rain - II)

In her works, ‘Blue After Rain I and II’, ‘Red in Rain’, ‘Blue and Warm’, ‘A touch of Blue’ the images suggest the dominance of a colour as well as an emotion, possibly a moment spent in solitude. ‘Witnessing a Change’ hints at the seasonal changes or it could also subtly hint at the artist’s state of mind to a more optimistic outlook towards life. 

(Witnessing a Change)

Most of her works have a suggestive ‘moving on to something-ness’ in them. This would be possible only when all the nuances of a reaction to a stimulus are not closed. Pragati leaves a few unexplored areas, intentionally, in the form of empty spaces or white spots or addition of small bits of tissue paper, which probably is her way of keeping the mystery of her work intact, veiling it. When asked about the  curious usage of tissue paper in her works she reveals that it could be that the emotion experienced then was not a positive one, hence the tissue implies a ‘cleansing’ logic. So it is not about just veiling a negative emotion, but wiping it off from the psyche. The artist revisits her inspiration in nature and according to her, nature often is in a flux, a moving, evolving state which reflects in the regenerative ability. In spite of all the abuse nature is going through from various causes, She survives,  retaliates or resurfaces for the better, restoring the balance. Pragati tries to capture these subtle unseen intuitive qualities of nature in her works, ensuring that anyone who views the works would take with them a sense of harmony and balance in their lives, like Mother Nature offers.

Pragati Dali lives and works in Bangalore.

NEWS

Nature Series at Tangerine

(Work by Sripad Kulkarni)

Tangerine, Bangalore, presents its first artist for 2014, Sripad Kulkarni. A graduate from the Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad, Sripad's latest exhibition at Tangerine titled 'Nature Series', displays paintings that are influenced from nature and inspired from Indian paintings to the extent that the figures are drawn in the same form and all his work depicts forms of either the butterfly, fish or the horse. 

Having conducted a number of group shows and solo shows, notable being his solo at the Chitrakala Parishad in 2012 and at the Udupi Art Foundation in 2013, Sripad believes, 'There has to be a certain freshness and newness in one's art, otherwise it's pointless to pursue it. To be different means doing something you have never done before’. Strong yet inspiring words that influence the way you work, Sripad Kulkarni is one such artist inspired to create a different perspective. His drawings reveal his predilection for form: forms that consist in tone rather than line, carefully expressing the textural effects of various mediums. 

Sripad’s works are on display till 10th February 2014.

National Art Katta 

The Art Katta, Pune presents a national level art exhibition every year starting from 2014. This is the first ever national level exhibition organized by The Art Katta and they are happy to have it in the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The idea is to maintain the diversity in display so the people could get a chance to see the variety of artworks. 

There will be more than 40 selected artworks on display by various artists from various parts of India such as Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ratnagiri, Delhi, Surat, Ahmednagar, Vishakhapattanam, Goa, Kolhapur, Patna and Hyderabad.

The show is on view till 4th February 2014.

Rang De

( Work by Reha Shisodia. Image courtesy Pradarshak Gallery)

Gallery Pradarshak, Mumbai presents a solo art show of self taught painter, Reha Shisodia. The show titled, ‘Rang De’ displays the artists abstract renditions on canvas in acrylic and mixed media.

Her work can be classified as Abstract Expressionist. Each of the canvases communicate with the viewer in a bold rush of colour and intensity, taking the viewer deeper into their journey, sometimes playing the field, merging into each other, and at other times standing loftily apart.

“Rang De” is the artist’s tribute to the season of joy that begins with the harvesting season in January and culminates in Holi in March. 

The show is on view till 15th February 2014.

Kaleidoscopic Art

( Work by Burhan N Nagarwala)

Malaka Spice Art space, Pune presents an exhibition of paintings by Burhan N Nagarwala. Burhan holds a degree in Fine Arts and is doing his Masters from Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune. All of 27 years, he is already imparting art to others. He is inspired by what he sees in real life , and captures what touches his heart, on canvas. 

His works vary from horses to people to nature and also still life and objects. His paintings reveal boldness as well as, an inner strength. His palette leans towards red and black in expression and renditions.

The show is on view till 15th February 2014.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

Through the Looking Glass, Remembrances of Voices Past..and more..

NEWS

Remembrances of Voices Past

Threshold Art Gallery, New Delhi and National Gallery of Modern Art, (NGMA), presents a solo show of eminent artist V Ramesh.  The show titled, ‘Remembrances of Voices Past’ will display a special selection of works done by the artist in the decade, from 2003 to 2013.

The show commences on 5th February and will be on view till 25th March 2014 at National Gallery Of Modern Art, Bangalore.

Through The Looking Glass

( Work by Devdatta Padekar)

Kynkyny Art Gallery, Bangalore presents a solo exhibition which features the artworks of Mumbai based artist Devdatta Padekar.   The show is titled, ‘ Through the Looking Glass’.

The subject of Padekar’s paintings is part of a surreal fairy tale that depicts curiosity and innocence.  The paintings are an ode to the fragile connection between the human and natural world in the ecologically challenging times.

The show is on view till 18th February 2014.

Palette Art at IAF 2014

( Work by George Martin PJ on display)

Palette Art Gallery presents a group of artists works at the India Art Fair -2014. The sixth edition of the IAF will see the gallery display art works by leading contemporary artists of today, in the form of installation works and more. 

Some of the works of artists Aishwarya Sultania, Gurusidappa, Anupam Sud, Sonia Mehra Chawla. George Martin PJ and Pooja Iranna among several others will have their works on show at Booth No A -06.

The India Art Fair previews on 30th January and is on view for public from 31st January to 2nd February 2014 at the NSIC Exhibition grounds, New Delhi.

An exploration of the contemporary

(  Work by Chandra Bhattacharya)

Sanchit Art, New Delhi presents a group exhibition of the latest works by prominent artists such as Neeraj Goswami, Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman, Satish Gujral, Ram Kumar, Shanti Dave, Jogen Chowdhury, Lalu Parasad Shaw, Manoj Dutta, Paritosh Sen, Sunil Kumar Das, K. Laxma Goud, Asim Basu, Chandra Bhattacharya, P. Gopinath, Kanchan Das Gupta, Jaya Ganguly, Sakti Burman, Himmat Shah and Kishor Shinde.

With this collection, Sanchit Art brings together the artists who explore deviating paths of life through their exquisite creations and encompass visual arts such as painting and sculpture in their contemporary forms.

The show is on view till 28th February 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

All eyes on art

Art Chennai returns for its third edition with auctions, installations and photofests on environment and heritage

(Celebrating Colour: : Pradipta K Mohapatra, Past Chairman and CII, Southern Region and Chairman and Co-founder at Coaching Foundation India (CFI). Karl Pechatscheck, Director, Goethe Institute, actor Gouthami, Sanjay Tulsyan, convenor, Art Chennai, and Vivek Harinarain, President, Rotary Club of Madras, at the press briefing to announce the 3rd Edition of Art Chennai, South India's Premier Contemporary Art Festival, at a function, in Chennai on Wednesday. Photo: R. Ravindran)

The third edition of Art Chennai promises to be bigger than before, with over 75 artists and 35 events spread over nine days. The festival will have exhibitions, workshops, installations, conferences and public art. Art Chennai 2014 is in collaboration with Stella Maris College and IIT, Madras and will focus on environment, conservation and heritage this year.

“The growth of a society is reflected by the growth of art. This year, we will have the first ever photo fest, an auction, large installations at multiple public locales in order to target a large and diverse audience. That makes this festival the only exclusive and inclusive art fest,” said Sanjay Tulsyan, convener, Art Chennai, at a press conference about the event.

Girish Shahane, the art director pointed out the highlights of the show and said, “This year it is about history and environment. It’s not just built heritage but everything connected with the history of the city — cultural, economic and so on. And this in a city known for its tradition and culture. Since performance art is also an important form of art we will have many events focussing on that as well.”

Some of the highlights of the festival, which will take place between February 8 to February 16, are:

February 8

The Trees and The Skies, which will be a collaborative project between three artists, students from Stella Maris college and artists from Ability Foundation. This project will go on till February 16 at Stella Maris College.

Auction Preview of Modern and Contemporary Indian Art will take place at Hyatt Regency between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The proceeds from the sale will go to charities supported by the Rotary Club of Madras.

February 9

Raghu Rai’s India, a photo exhibition will be held at Gallery Veda on OMR. This will be on for three months.

At 12 p.m., Couriouser and Couriouser by The Karuppu Art Collective will take place at the Cholamandal Artist’s Village. The registration for the auction begins at 6.30 p.m. and the auction begins at 7.30 p.m. at Hyatt Regency.

Febuary 10

Reflections on Grace: International Photo Fest, in collaboration with Delhi Photo Festival 2013 will be on till February 23 at IIT, Madras

Parvathi Nayar’s show ‘The Ambiguity of Landscapes’ is on till March 12 at Gallery Veda.

February 11

Signals. Signposts. Voyages 4 from the Madras Movement. Artists Nandagopal, Muralidharan, C. Douglas and Palaniappan will participate in this event. It will be on till February 28 at Sarala’s Art Centre.

February 12

Vintage Vignettes, a retrospective exhibition on Chennai curated by Girish Shaane, will be on at Marina Beach till February 16.

February 13

Installation – Shop Lifting by Mithu Sen at Express Avenue. This will be on till February 26.

Bright Noise is curated by Girish Shahane. Participating artists are Anita Dubem, Asim Waqif, Charmi Gada Shah, Jitish Kallat, Madhuban Mitra, Manas Bhattacharya, Manish Nai, Nandan Ghiya, Navin Thomas, Prajakta Potnis, Rashid Rana, Rohini Devasher, Sahej Rahal, Vibha Galhotra and Vivan Sundaram. This will be on till March 8 at Lalit Kala Akademi.

February 14

Art Assemblage, an exhibition of visiting galleries by Akar Prakar, Ashvita, Exhibit 320, Gallery Art and Soul, Gallery Open Eyed Dreams, The Guild, Project 88 and Galerie 88.

February 15

Deep (skin) Skin Deep: A proposition in Art, Textiles and Fashion curated by Mayank Mansingh Kaul and Bootlegger’s Addendum by Sahej Rahal at Park Hyatt from 5.30 p.m. onwards.

(Report by Anusha Parthasarathy for The Hindu)

EDITORIAL - Kiran Nadar Museum and the Charity Hating Art Lovers

EDITORIAL

Kiran Nadar Museum and the Charity Hating Art Lovers

( Ms. Kiran Nadar)

Ms.Kiran Nadar, the Director of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi sent out an email appeal to the art lovers in Delhi. The mail says that Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Noida has a put up a very interesting show of modern masters culled from the collection of the museum. But none in the art scene in Delhi seems to be interested. Her appeal is that the art lovers should take interest to travel to Noida and see the exhibition. Though she does not say it, what we understand from the mail is that if none goes there it would be detrimental to the general health of our art scene. In fact, I appreciate this mail because for the first time, a director of the museum comes several rungs down from her high position (of being the owner of the museum as well as the director of it) and makes an appeal to the people. But I do not fail to see the catch; there is a veiled threat in the message. If you are not interested, then why I should run a museum at all! Interesting thing is that KNMA’s Saket wing is well attended and people take interest to go there whenever there is a show or a seminar. The appeal of Ms. Kiran Nadar brings out one of the pertinent issues of our culture; the location of a museum.

Museums are the repositories of cultural artifacts that have/had once made our cultural lives vibrant and engaged. When they transcend their immediate use value and attain a spiritual value, it is said, they reach a museum. If we go by the etymology of the word museum, it is derived from mausoleum where the dead are buried. That’s why noted cultural theorists like Douglas Crimp say that after travelling through different layers of economic activities, a work of art achieves a zero value (beyond all monetary values) and settles itself in a museum. Therefore, a work of art in a museum, in an ideal sense is a dead object which is economically irrelevant and culturally relevant. But from outside a dead body also could generate certain extrinsic economic activities as in the case of the remnants of saints, martyrs and leaders in mausoleums. When people go there to see these physical residues of saints and great people, an economic activity is generated around it. The Monalisa cannot be bought or sold anymore. But people go to Louvre Museum in Paris just to see that three by four size work of art. If so, where should be the location of a museum?

( Kiran Nadar Museum of Art)

People travel all the way to pilgrim centres to catch a glimpse of the mortal remains of a saint. But people do not go all the way to see a work of art housed in a building. If a museum is right in the middle of some other touristic attractions, then definitely in their itinerary they will include visiting the museum. In India’s case, people are just averse of museums. An average museum goer appears to be a bored person and he/she visits that place only because the travel guide has forced them to do so. But some people religiously visit museums and galleries but they are always insiders of the cultural scene. We have to ask why KNMA’s Saket premises are popular amongst the art lovers. They go to Saket, visit the museum, have a bite from one of the restaurants, do some shopping, just hang out, watch a movie, share some happy moments and just feel good about it. Across the road they have KHOJ that too offers food for cultural thoughts. It comes as a natural package. None forces anyone to see a work of art in the museum. But once you are there you have a lot to see and enjoy both inside and outside the museum. This cannot be the same case with Noida.

By the end of 1990s, KHOJ started its operations from the distant Modi Nagar in UP. By the end of the international workshop there, the organizers used to provide a bus from Mandi House to Modi Nagar. It was a day excursion for all of us; both the haves and have nots of the art scene. In fact in those days, everyone was more or less have nots. None had mobile phones and cars. Those who had it never ventured out for a long drive on a Sunday morning. Right from the established to the novice, the achiever to the struggler, the Padma Award winner to the insignificant used to come to Mandi House and catch the bus to Modi Nagar. Today KNMA too offers the same facility for its Noida shows. But none cares, why? Today, it is a changed world. Our mobility has increased, our engagements have increased, our communication facilities have increased and taking out time for going to another city to show, herded in a bus is not at all palatable, even if there is cocktails and dinner waiting for you. The immediate surroundings have more to offer. Also the idea of sending a bus and carting the people out there to the location has got something to do with charity and bonded labour. People no longer like it. Ms.Kiran Nadar, please understand this. KNMA’s Noida wing will become an important destination only when people have more to see and spend there in and around, other than art. Is Noida prepared?

( Ms. Kiran Nadar )

Years ago, Apeejay Art Centre at Badarpur Border was a destination for many people. Badarpur borders between Delhi and Haryana. Decent people never used to look at this side in those days. Borders are nowhere zones with less of cultural presence and these places are more about human struggle and survival, crimes and cheap passions. Who wants high art there? But people used to come and complain. But they used to come because still it was within the city limits. Today, had Apeejay been on, it would have been one of the biggest art haunts because the Badarpur Metro station just sits over the Apeejay Media centre. But development and planning have taken the toll on it and it looks more or less shut down with outer contours mauled by bulldozers. What about Devi Art Foundation in Gurgaon? There used to be a time people loved to go there. But the owner of the foundation switched gears. It became obsolete. When a museum gives way to experimental shit (rather shitty experiments) mind you, it is on its way to shut down. Despite metro connectivity Devi Art Foundation is no longer an interesting haunt of many. Irony is it was a pilgrimage centre for city’s cultureratti and glitterati and chatteratti and freeloaderatti. It has a designer building with a rusty look. Now, its reputation lives up to its designer facade.

Hence, my request to Ms.Kiran Nadar is this: Take a deep breath look at it. Breath out and look at it. Tell yourself that you are breathing in and breathing out. Nothing spiritual about it. It helps you to calm down and see the art people as just normal people with normal habits. They want, like any other middle class, more fun. Is Noida museum ready to give it? Just dinner and cutting edge or master shows will not do. It needs more planning. People need to think that it belongs to them. How could the multi billion empire be of the people, you may ask? But it has to belong to the people. Charity, even if it is cultural, is horrible; it demeans both the giver and taker as the lending does. But we need philanthropic people as we have not yet done away with poverty and lack. But philanthropy should be done in a Christian way; what right hand gives should not be known to the left hand. The mail of Ms.Kiran Nadar is well meaning. But its cultural meaning is disappointing. 

PS: I, like many in the city, received a bunch of invitation cards from KNMA. Three shows in a row and all three are curated by one single person. I am sure you guys are on the way to the Guinness Book of World Records. 

JohnyML

NEWS

Shrine at IAF 2014

Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi as part of the India Art Fair 2014, presents the exquisite art works of a group of artists.  The gallery will showcase their works at Booth D3 and the artists whose works are on display are Anoli Perera, Fariba S Alam, Priyanka Dasgupta, Samanta Batra Mehta and Suchitra Gaholt.

The works are on view from 30th January to 2nd February 2014 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, New Delhi.

Ambiguity in Landscapes

( Work by Parvathi Nayar)

Gallery Veda, Chennai will be showcasing the works of eminent artist Parvathi Nayar under the title- Ambiguity of Landscapes. This is a solo show of the latest works of the artist. 

Her art practices are centered on painting and drawing and conceptually they are rooted in ideas of narrative, at ways of looking and the privileging of sight. She explores the ideas of the daily narrative of our lives in this world through fragmentary, familiar and unfamiliar perspectives. All her works provide an obsessive attention to technique in the eventual resolution so that the subject is both the content and manner in which it is portrayed.

The exhibition will be on view from 10th February to 12th March 2014.

The Interior from Iran

( work on display)

Goethe Institute , Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai, presents a show of some exquisite photography works. The show is titled, ‘ the Interior: A Special Issue on Iran’ and displays some stunning still photographic works by 14 Iranian photographers, working in and outside Iran.

The Interior: a Special Issue on Iran will be on view till 18th February 2014.

Every Broken Moment, Piece by Piece

( Work by Sudarshan Shetty)

GallerySke, New Delhi presents ‘Every Broken Moment, Piece by Piece’, an exclusive art exhibition by Sudarshan Shetty. Sudarshan’s art works are based on varied subjects like mortality, sense of loss and broken structures. Creating familiar objects using diversified materials like recycled wood and ceramic, the display includes large-scale wooden sculptures, mixed-media pieces and a video.

Known for his large-sculptural installations and multi-media artworks, the artist is returning back to the capital after ten years with his recent exhibition. The works by the artist are all unique and never same. The video on display has been titled as ‘Waiting for others to arrive’. Divided into three different shots, the video presents the same scene in three different frames shot from the same camera angel. The video provides a sense of past, present and future within the same space with objects fading in and out.

The show is on view till 2nd March 2014.

( News Reports by Sushma Sabnis)

( All images sourced from Google for illustrative purposes only)

India Art Fair 2014, Manifestations X and more..

NEWS

India Art Fair 2014

India Art Fair held in New Delhi, is South Asia’s leading art fair for modern and contemporary art from across the world. The 6th edition of the fair is poised to take forward its activities with renewed impetus to excellence and impact. Spread over four days from 30 January (Preview Day) – 2 February 2014, its endeavor is to present a diverse selection of galleries, influential voices and cater to a wide-ranging audience of art enthusiasts from around the world. 

YES BANK for the second consecutive year is Presenting Partner at the 6th edition of India Art Fair 2014. 

The India Art Fair continues to be one of the world’s most attended events of its kind, attracting over 300,000 people since its inception. This includes key collectors and museums from several Asian countries, USA, Latin America, Australia, China, Russia, Greece, France, Germany, Argentina, Hungary, Africa, Latvia, France, Portugal, Spain, China, Singapore, Israel, Italy, Bangladesh and Austria amongst others.

The India Art Fair 2014 is open to public from 31st January to 2nd February 2014 at NSIC exhibition grounds.

Fictitious Realities - I

The Viewing Room, Mumbai presents the works of Simrin Mehra Agarwal as a part of the ongoing ‘They are Us-An emphatic response’ show. The series titled ‘Fictitious Realities - I’ displays 29 portrayals of characters carefully mapped out of 29 novels and books. Each character has been painted upon book covers to illustrate the important role it plays in the plot and other characters in the story. These characters have also been picked out on the basis of the effect on the artist. 

What gets portrayed is an amalgamation of the artist’s imagination, the books and film influences from childhood to now creating a painterly essence to the visual. The multipanel work is a library of emotions. 

The work is on display till 8th February 2014.

Manifestations X

The 10th edition of Delhi Art Gallery’s biannual series, ‘Manifestations - X’, showcases works of 75 of the most noted modern Indian artists. These artworks are grouped under genres that span from figurative to mythology to landscapes and so on. Manifestations X features works by four out of the six founding members of the Progressive Artist’s Group and thus showcases significant works by M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza and S.K. Bakre, alongside these are the three Tagores- Abanindranath, Rabindranath and Gaganendranth. However the highlight of this series remains a set of 92 works by Indra Dugar where each work is a study of a woman or women wearing traditional Rajasthani clothes. Also included is a set of ten anonymous Kalighat Pats belonging to the late 19th century.

Artists works on show are A. A. Raiba, A. R. Chughtai, Abanindranath Tagore, Adi Davierwalla, Arpana Caur, Avinash Chandra, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Biren De, Chittaprosad, D. P. Roy Chowdhury, Dhanraj Bhagat, Dharamanarayan Dasgupta, Early Bengal Oil, F. N. Souza, G. R. Santosh, Gaganendranath Tagore, Ganesh Haloi, Ganesh Pyne, George Keyt, Gieve Patel, Gogi Saroj Pal, Gopal Ghose, Haku Shah, Hemanta Misra, Hemen Mazumdar, Himmat Shah, Indra Dugar, J. Swaminathan, J. Sultan Ali, Jamini Roy,Jeram Patel, Jogen Chowdhury,Jyoti Bhatt,K S Radhakrishnan,K. C. S. Panicker,K. G. Subramanyan, K. K. Hebbar, K. Laxma Goud, K. S. Kulkarni, Kalighat Pat, Laxman Pai, M. F. Husain, M. V. Dhurandhar, Manu Parekh, Meera Mukherjee, N. S. Bendre, Nandalal Bose, Nikhil Biswas, P. Khemraj, P. T. Reddy, P. V. Janakiram, Paritosh Sen, Pilloo Pochkhanawala, Prosanto Roy, Rabin Mondal, Rabindranath Tagore, Raghav Kaneria, Raja Ravi Varma, Ramgopal Vijaivargiya, Ramkinkar Baij, S Dhanapal, S. H. Raza, S. K. Bakre, Satish Gujral, Shanti Dave, Shyamal Dutta Ray, Sohan Qadri, Somnath Hore, Sunayani Devi, Sunil Das, Sunil Madhav Sen, Thota Vaikuntam, Vishwanath Nageshkar.

The show is on view from 25th January to 25th February 2014.

Celebration 2014

Kumar Gallery, New Delhi. presents a show of a group of artists from modern masters to contemporary artists of today. The show is titled, ‘Celebration 2014’. 

The show displays paintings by 26 modern masters and contemporary artists’ works. The show includes works by well known names like F N Souza, Gopal Ghose, K S Kulkarni, Ramu Das, Shampa Sircar Das among others.

The show is on view from 29th January to 15th February 2014.

( News Reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Space for Creativity

Participants tried their hand at pottery and got to witness works of Aarti Vir, Priyanka Aelay and Albert Camus

(Potter Aarti Vir exhibits her work as part of Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014.)

The Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014 turned out to be a forum that engaged participants beyond books and discourses. Kalakriti Art Gallery witnessed three exhibitions at a go — potter Aarti Vir’s works, Priyanka Aelay’s pen and ink drawings on paper and Albert Camus’s interactive exhibition.

(A participant tries his hand at clay modelling during the pottery workshop conducted by Aarti Vir as part of Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014.)

Outside the gallery, a bunch of children and young adults put their creative skills to test learning to mould clay under the watchful eye of Aarti Vir. Clay became a tool of fun in the hands of children as they moulded it into angry birds, a hulk-like human reading a paper and a few took the opportunity to bring in thoughts on ecological conservation and living in a beautiful world. The adults, meanwhile, tried sculpting human faces with minute details, large butterflies and even a game of Sudoku. The idea behind the workshop was to let participants have fun. School student Harem B contemplated replacing a small sheet of paper with a newspaper in the hands of the hulk-like human he had modelled even as his mother felt he would end up breaking the arms of the model. Witnessing the fun the children were having, Aarti simply shrugged and smiled.

(Potter Aarti Vir exhibits her work as part of Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014.)

Elsewhere, inside the gallery, Aarti’s works transcended the realm of functional pottery and showed her artistic prowess. She juxtaposed Leonard Cohen’s lines, ‘There’s a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how light comes in,’ to compliment her series ‘fences and borders’. As Aarti puts it, her pottery has changed in response to the world around her, addressing both external and internal concerns. A series titled ‘secure, insecure’ attempts to address the conflict between the securities and insecurities we experience in our own homes.

Pen and ink

(A pen and ink drawing by Priyanka Aelay)

Priyanka Aelay’s exhibition has pen-and-ink drawings on paper. Simple lines reflect her perception of issues faced by women, as addressed by authors Susie Tharu and K. Lalita. Priyanka’s drawings are part of the new Telugu edition of ‘Women writing in India’ by the two authors. The original book in English is now widely read across universities.

Scan and see

(Works of Albert Camus on display at Kalakriti as part of Hyderabad Literary Festival 2014.)

Albert Camus’s interactive exhibition comes to India for the first time. At first glance, you might overlook the display as mere posters. But keep your 3G-enabled mobile phone or tablet handy to view this exhibition. Once a viewer downloads the Alliance Francais’ Albert Camus app, the user will be able to access the contents pertaining to the Nobel Prize winning author. A user can select the language and go through the tutorial on how to scan the QR codes and explore text, video, images and sounds that appear on screen. The content is divided into five time periods and the entire viewing will take between 60 and 90 minutes.

The exhibition will continue till February 8th 2014 at Kalakriti Art Gallery.

(Report and Photos by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo for The Hindu)