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ART for our sake
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The ongoing art exhibition by Bombay x 17 in the city is radical in thought and display.
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BOSE KRISHNAMACHARI wears the mantle of an avant garde artist with consummate flair. Last year when his travelling show made a short stop at Durbar Hall Gallery he lambasted the powers-that-be of the shoddy state of art affairs; the outburst was borne out of regret that the state of his birth was left out of the art loop. Then again, Bose exulted at the steady stream of visitors who came in to view his body of work and willy-nilly listen to this outspoken critic of our age. Around the same time he met with Anoop and Dorrie, who were toying with the idea of a new art space. There was an unmistakable buzz in the air and Bose was determined to take the bull by the horns. In his adopted city of Mumbai, Bose the artist transformed into Bose the organiser. Within months the prodigal son has returned, with a band of seventeen artists and their works in tow. And shaken out of its stupor, Kochi is ready and waiting.
"What is exciting here is the makeup of the audience. In Mumbai it is a very exclusive, fashionable crowd you witness at an art inauguration," says Sheetal Gattani, one from the artists group. For some, like internationally celebrated Kerala-born artist Baiju Parthan it is their first display of talent in the city. "I was unsure about connecting back".
Bombay x 17 includes Anant Joshi, Baiju Parthan, Bose Krishnamachari, Chintan Upadhyay, Jitish Kallat, Justin Ponmany, Jyothi Basu, Prajakta Potnis, Reena S Kallat, Riyas Komu, Sanjeev Sonpimpare, Sheetal Gattani, Sudarshan Shetty, Sunil Gawde, T.V.Santosh, Yashwant Deshmukh and Yogesh Rawal. Each of them is well known, young and already occupying a significant place in the emerging generation of Indian artists.
Back home in private studios their creativity is described on large-sized canvases; here they average a 25"x30", an ample surface to savour their genius.
For some, the tour isn't so much about showcasing their works, as about grasping the character of a region that has bred so many artists of outstanding abilities. Prajakta explores the connection between a politically dislocated identity of an individual and the resultant transformation into a successful artist.
Have Kerala artists been sidelined? At a symposium organized to stimulate thinking and discussions, Parthan spoke about three factors that had contributed to his own growth. "Living in a metropolis (Mumbai) where different ethnicities and nationalities mingle with no restrictions, where the individual can formulate and articulate his own being with a minimum of surveillance and where the active involvement of mainstream media and the resulting media presence legitimises one's practice." Later he admitted that communication technology had bridged the yawning gap between the two cities and Kochi too was being touched by the spirit of the times.
At an interactive video show titled FEED-"What you see is what you get", Parthan suggests that because we are being constantly bombarded with images of the military as a peace keeper we begin to believe that it alone can fulfil our security needs; therefore giving credence to its presence. The contemporary artist's concern and grasp about current issues is stimulating.
Similarly T.V.Santosh's key themes of war and terrorism are expressive of our times. How come the artist in Kerala shied away from questioning why his State recorded the highest suicide rate? The highest number of road mishaps? Even when he did, it took a long time coming. Was it the lamentable political and social system, which was not conducive to a flourishing art scene? The debate drew a spirited response from the audience.
The show is also about being savvy and using alternate, new media. Sudarshan Shetty uses polyester resin, dentures and electric motors to present his gift as an installation artist. Yogesh Rawal's assemblage comprises of red oxide, silver leaf gilded wood found on a construction site in Bombay.
The significance of Bombay x 17 lies in that is the debut occasion where artistic exchanges between the region's artists and the guests can take place. Bose promises this is no flash in the pan cultural encounter; it's only the beginning of an interactive sharing of cultural ideas.
SUNANDA KHANNA
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