Reimagining Nature: Poetics of Viewing by Anil Annaiah

Cotton Candy by Anil Annaiah 

Bangalore based filmmaker, writer, photographer and storyteller Anil Anaiah has been passionately rooting for nature for several decades now. His upcoming exhibition of photographs and short films have been curated by me, and will be on view from 21st - 23rd April 2023 at Devaraj Urs Gallery, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Bengaluru.

While appearing to be nature photographs at the first instance, all images have been taken with a purpose. The idea behind it is to reveal details which are invisible to the naked eye and to encourage everyone to really observe and engage with nature in order to take further action that can support and conserve the natural world around us.

Anil's artistic projects have centered around ‘nature is art’ where he encourages positive actions that are aligned with the Sustainable Development (SDGs), through artworks which include photographs, documentaries, videos and also a citizen science initiative. In the past, he has also contributed towards socially relevant campaigns around autism and waste management.

The upcoming exhibition 'Reimagining Nature: Poetics of Viewing' coincides with Earth Day 2023, and is a celebration of Anil’s decade long journey, where he has presented his collection of nature photographs and films in a public exhibition on every Earth Day, since 2014.

The collection features early photographic works that are based on macro-photography and capture stunning magnified views of flora and foliage, offering deeper insights into the aesthetics and science of natural elements. While later works depict blurred or defocused images which appear to be abstracted paintings. The short films are conceptual and capture moving images with textual overlay as ‘thought quotes’ broadly referring to ‘Invest in our planet’, the official theme for this Earth Day, and as a call for action.

Anil believes that simple acts of observation can make one curious to know more about nature and thus act responsibly and discover their inner reflections as Changemakers. With even simple mobile phones one can take photographs and express their creativity and be a part of the changemaker movement. He will also be exhibiting a collection of photographs that has been shot on the iPhone and are exquisitely detailed. 

He elaborates, “Biodiversity loss and Climate Change are the greatest issues we face today. And, you can play an active role in its mitigation by participating in our Art, Storytelling and Citizen Science Experience."

The Pink River by Anil Annaiah

 
About Anil Annaiah

His work from the last two decades has been about conceiving and contributing to diverse assignments as a photographer, creative strategist, writer & filmmaker. He aspires to bridge the gap between the two worlds he works with, the Corporate and the Social Development sector and offer a powerful synergy to build social goodness with communication ideas.

Anil is passionate about developing ideas for creative engagements to build new Changemakers. He continuously explores possibilities to build participative platforms for social sustainability. His diverse experience & collective knowledge from the last two decades, lends him rich communications expertise.

His concept of “Nature is Art for Conservation” with “Discovering Science Through The Lens” presents an innovative Art & Citizen Science Experience Project. This invites people to fall in love with nature all over again and discover their inner reflections as Changemakers. “Art, Nature, Science and You (ANSY)”. The joy of holding a Camera and the endless moments of peace you can soak yourself in gives you the opportunity to do Camera Yoga. This Earth Day 2023 brings in the 10th Consecutive Year.


About the Curator

Nalini S Malaviya is a Bangalore based curator and writer. In addition to curating contemporary art exhibitions, she offers curatorial and advisory services to individuals and corporate, facilitating art acquisition. She has been writing for the media since 2003, and has been an art columnist for leading newspapers. She has contributed to Financial Times, Times of India, Bangalore Mirror, Deccan Herald, several art magazines and artist books, among other publications. She contributed ‘An Art Sojourn’, an essay on Yusuf Arakkal, which was translated in Kannada and published as a chapter in the artist book.

Nalini is the Founder/Publisher of Art Scene India, www.artsceneindia.com, which was established in 2006 as a blog, and which has evolved into a significant resource site and a digital archive, with extensive documentation of the Indian art scene over the last 16 years.

Some of her curatorial projects include the recently concluded solo artist project ‘Interwoven’, an exhibition of tapestries and drawings by senior artist SG Vasudev, ‘Enchanted Breath’, ‘Convergence,’ ‘Bend’, ‘Parallax of Visual Memories’, ‘Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space’, 'Irreverent Gene' and ‘Polynomials of Relevance’ with leading contemporary artists from across the country.

 
To coincide with Earth Day 2023, the exhibition ‘Reimagining Nature: Poetics of Viewing’ by Anil Annaiah features a collection of Fine Art Photographs and Short Films from 2014 to 2023, curated by Nalini S Malaviya

Exhibition details: 21st, 22nd & 23rd April 2023 at Devaraj Urs Gallery, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Bengaluru

Contact Anil Annaiah: Email: anilannaiah@yahoo.com, Ph: 99807 40118

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Also read,

• Art Scene India presents Convergence
• Art News (Bangalore) - Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space
• How To Write An Artist Statement
• 6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation
• Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces
• 5 Reasons a Good Catalogue Text is Essential for Your Art

Reminiscences by Bharathi S

Recollections: Traveling Through Time

Bangalore based artist Bharathi S. revisits her childhood through paintings that wistfully capture joie de vivre, of carefree days, gone by. The paintings in the new series, ‘Reminiscences’ evoke flashes of vivid memory, of youthful days and simpler times. The kaleidoscopic images depict a fervent memoire tinged with nostalgia and innocence, and of those past moments that were uncluttered and unencumbered from the urgency and stresses of urban life. The works are suggestive of the rich fragrance of imagination and the joy of untroubled days, where time was slower, and perhaps it even stood still, more so, in small towns and villages, where Bharathi grew up.

Her works are akin to photographic film negatives, albeit in color, where masses and forms coalesce and blur, in effortless motion. The colors, as patches of pigments, take shape from a distance, and dissolve once again on approaching closer. Most of the larger paintings have figures of children either playing or watching adults complete household chores – there is an inherent exuberance and dynamism with a heightened sense of motion that is evident. A safe, secluded world is quietly tangible.

An avid traveler, she has been fascinated by clouds – their patterns and how they shift form, disperse, and re-form at times to acquire newer shapes and outlines. Their temporal nature and their transitions, have impacted her perception, in her observations of life and events and their fleeting characteristics. This in turn has inspired the small format paintings, which rely on abstraction as a tool to convey the thematic subjects as they shift forms amidst the colors, and which reemphasize the subtleties of movement and transitions.

Nalini S Malaviya

Art Critic

- Excerpt from the catalogue essay

'Reminiscences' by Bharathi S. continues till Nov 27, at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

 

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To contribute articles, please get in touch at artsceneinfo@gmail.com

Also read,

• Art Scene India presents Convergence
• Art News (Bangalore) - Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space
• How To Write An Artist Statement
• 6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation
• Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces
• 5 Reasons a Good Catalogue Text is Essential for Your Art

Art Bytes - Sparking Conversations Around Art

An ALL Bangalore Fine Arts Chapter initiative

By Jyoti C Singh Deo

The art scene in a Covid ridden world is bound to be on the back burner, or so it seems, but the art scene in a little pocket of Bangalore has been bubbling with activity. All Ladies League, better known as ALL was founded by Dr Harbeen Arora with the sole aim to connect women from various fields of life and to empower them. The onus lay upon pathfinders like Suchitra Kaul Misra, ALL Karnataka Chairperson and Nalini Malaviya, art consultant, curator and writer, who set up the Bangalore Fine Arts Chapter, three years ago. Nalini, with the support of the members of the group, has been instrumental in implementing several initiatives that connect artists and art connoisseurs.

ALL Bangalore Fine Arts Chapter Launch in September, 2018

In recent times, artists have been confined to their homes and this has been an ideal time for them to bring alive their canvases. ALL has been a perfect platform to showcase artworks by women artists. The fine arts Bangalore chapter has begun a series of Art Talks called ‘Art Bytes’ that showcases member artists from the city. The series delves into the works of artists and gives the audience an opportunity to interact with them.

The series of interaction began with Anjana Chandak, an artist, poet and performer, who is well known for her monologues, especially on Draupadi and Ahalya. Her artworks convey a rich spiritual side of her. Jyoti C Singh Deo, an artist, poet, writer and activist digs into her childhood days spent in the industrial town of Jamshedpur and coalfields of Jharkhand to create beautiful artworks. Her art depicts the apathy meted out to the labourers who work at the coalfields. G S Bhavani, an artist who is passionate about nature spoke about her works related to the conservation of River Cauvery. Her rock installations on the river bed and floral installations in natural environs are testimony of a heart that glows for the green world.

Next in line on Aug 2, are chapter vice-chair, Jyoti Gupta, a multidisciplinary artist working with mediums like acrylic, resin, inks and clay. These contribute to her sublime work with a unique style of art. Her work has been featured in several national and international events. And, Sharmila Aravind, who has actively engaged with art in its myriad forms - visual arts, directing documentaries, writing poetry, children's rhymes and singing. It has been an ongoing journey of self exploration and expression through multiple mediums.

Art Bytes is a journey that would be featuring more artists in the coming months.

Please share this article using the social media widgets at the bottom and do subscribe to receive regular updates from Art Scene India.

To write for us, email artsceneinfo@gmail.com

Also read,

• Art Scene India presents Convergence
• Art News (Bangalore) - Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space
• How To Write An Artist Statement
• 6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation
• Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces
• 5 Reasons a Good Catalogue Text is Essential for Your Art

#arttrackwithnalini: Contextualizing Digital Art, Algorithms and NFTs

 

#arttrackwithnalini - 01 on 31st March 2021, 6 pm

Contextualizing Digital Art, Algorithms and NFTs

Speakers: Baiju Parthan, Harshit Agrawal and Shovin Bhattacharjee

Moderator: Nalini S Malaviya

Join us here WICCI Arts Leadership Council | Facebook on 31st March, 6 pm IST

 

In the current context, it is important to have a conversation on the relevance and scope of digital art, algorithms and NFTs in the Indian and global scenario. This panel attempts to locate digital art production, the import, originality and criticality of the image with regards to current trends, technological interventions, digital ownership and environmental implications of blockchain technology, if any.

Join me as I kick start #arttrackwithnalini, a series of conversations, online for now and hopefully in person soon, with experts in the field.

Recently a digital piece, by Beeple sold as an NFT for 69 million dollars at Christie’s. This has created quite a buzz, understandably. It is after all the 3rd highest priced work by a living artist.

But what does it mean for the art world, especially in the Indian context.

So, let's talk about the relevance and scope of digital art, algorithms and NFTs with Baiju Parthan, Harshit Agrawal and Shovin Bhattacharjee, All 3 are extremely well known, inter-media artists who have been in the digital space and technology art for years, and who understand blockchain, cryptoart, artificial Intelligence and NFTs.

Some of the points we hope to cover are with regards to digital art production, what does originality and criticality of the image imply today, the role of technology then in the art making and distribution, what does digital ownership mean and are there any environmental implications of blockchain technology.

Let’s just start this conversation and see how much ground we can cover in this first session.

Join us here WICCI Arts Leadership Council | Facebook on 31st March, 6 pm IST

                                

Meet our panel

Speakers

Baiju Parthan is a Mumbai based inter-media artist, working simultaneously with traditional media of painting as well as new media and digital technology based installation art. He is one of the early exponents of new media art and mediatic-realism in the Indian contemporary art scene. His work explores worldviews and ideologies that are in collision and the resulting ontological fallout felt and lived by all of us.

His work in the digital realm consists mainly of explorations into the mutating boundary where the virtual and real bleed into each other. Through a range of computer generated virtual objects presented as video installations, large scale prints on metallic surfaces, and 3D lenticular prints, Parthan manages to present a critique on high technology and its impact on our life and experience of reality.

He has participated in several landmark exhibitions including, New Interventions in Indian Art, China Art Museum Shanghai & Gaungdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China 2015, INDIA!, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB), Rio de Janeiro 2012, Indian Contemporary, Benedictine Museum, Fecamp, France, 2009, Beyond Globalization, Beijing, 2009, 101 Contemporary, Tokyo, 2008, International Live Art Festival Glasgow 2004, Kapital and Karma, Kunsthalle Wien, Austria 2002, and has shown at several important art fairs.

 

Harshit Agrawal is an artist working with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He is India’s first artificial intelligence artist, being the only Indian artist among 7 international AI art pioneers in the world’s first A.I art show in a contemporary gallery (Gradient Descent at Nature Morte). In his practice, he uses machines and algorithms and often creates them as an essential part of his art process, embracing becoming the cyborg artist. Harshit’s work is part of the permanent exhibition at the largest computer science museum in the world, HNF museum in Germany. He has exhibited work at other premier museums, galleries and art festivals around the world, like the Ars Electronica Festival (Austria), Asia Culture Center (Gwangju Korea), CADAF Contemporary and Digital Art Fair, HIRESOLUTION Exhibition for New Year’s Ball Drop at Times Square (USA), Museum of Tomorrow (Brazil), among others. He has given several talks at the subject of A.I and Art, including 3 TEDx talks. His work has also been extensively covered in international media, including BBC, New York Times, Artnet, Artsy, STIR World. Harshit has carried out residencies at the Museum of Tomorrow (Brazil), Art Center Nabi (Korea) and X-Lab (Japan). He graduated from the MIT Media Lab and IIT Guwahati. Along with his art practice, he has authored several publications and patents about his work at the intersection of human computer interaction and creative expression. He currently lives and works out of Bangalore, India.

 

 

Shovin Bhattacharjee is an artist working with painting, sculpture, digital art, new media art and public art installation. A pioneering digital artist, he is India’s first artist entering into an NFT art auction.

Born and brought up in Shillong (Meghalaya), he received his BFA and MFA degree in fine arts from Assam University, Silchar, and a diploma in conservation techniques from NRLC, Lucknow in 2002. Shovin has held seven solo shows with the Indian Cultural Centre Seoul, South Korea, in collaboration with Indian Art Museum at Seoul, South Korea.

He has also participated in National and International Exhibitions like “Spirit of India” Embassy of India, Lisbon in association with Art Catto Gallery at Conrad Hotel, Algrave, Portugal; 1st Digital Art Biennial, Brazil; Guanlan International print Biennial, China, India-Korea Art Exchange exhibition at Korean Cultural Center, New Delhi; “HANJI FESTIVAL” exhibition at Korean Cultural Center, New Delhi. 13th Asian Art Biennale organized by The Bangladesh Shilpa kala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 6th 7th and 8th International print Biennale organized by Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal; “Icon of Asia” International show at EM Art Gallery, Beijing, China; International print Biennale, Finland; Harmony Art shows organized by Harmony Art Foundation, Mumbai; All India Digital Art Exhibition, A.I.F.A.C.S., New Delhi; etc.

Shovin’s work is part of the permanent collection at the Indian Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea, CICA museum, South Korea; Lalit kala Akademi, New Delhi; National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi; Manipur Museum, Meghalaya State museum. Indian Cultural Centre, Seoul, South Korea; Art Catto, Portugal; He currently lives and works in New Delhi, India.


Moderator

Nalini S Malaviya is a Bangalore based art consultant, curator and writer. She curates contemporary art exhibitions, working with visual artists from across the country and offers curatorial and advisory services to individuals and corporate. She has been writing for the media since 2003, and has been an art columnist for Bangalore Mirror and has contributed to Financial Times (Delhi and Bangalore) and Times of India, Deccan Herald, several art magazines and artist books. She has written and presented papers for the Karnataka Lalithkala Academy Journal and several of her prefatory essays have been published as part of artist catalogues.

Some of her curatorial projects include ‘Convergence,’ an online exhibition as part of an art and media collective, ‘Bend’ an exhibition of sculptures, ‘Parallax of Visual Memories’, ‘Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space’, 'Irreverent Gene' and ‘Polynomials of Relevance’.

Nalini is the Founder/Publisher of 'Art Scene India' www.artsceneindia.com, a popular blog cum Ezine featuring art news, events and articles on art, and is a resource center for artists and connoisseurs. Currently, she has a fortnightly art column for Sunday Herald, and is Member, Advisory Committee, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore. She is also the Karnataka President for Arts Leadership Council, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Please share this article using the social media widgets at the bottom and do subscribe to receive regular updates from Art Scene India.


To contribute articles, please get in touch at artsceneinfo@gmail.com

Also read,

• Art Scene India presents Convergence
• Art News (Bangalore) - Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space
• How To Write An Artist Statement
• 6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation
• Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces
• 5 Reasons a Good Catalogue Text is Essential for Your Art

Art Scene India presents Convergence

Convergence, a collection of drawings, mixed media works & sculptures by Shanthamani Muddaiah, Shivani Aggarwal and Minal Damani, curated by Nalini S Malaviya starts July 24, 2020

The pandemic has disrupted the ‘regularity’ of our existence, where the new normal is a paradox, unrelated and at variance with memories of the past, disconnected from the present and a distant future. This interruption has necessitated a reconstruct and rethink of strategies, modes of functioning and a revaluation of what constitutes essential. The existing paranoia and other associated anxieties have brought to the fore several pertinent questions regarding factors responsible for calamities, unwarranted human interventions and indiscriminate actions that disregard ecological considerations. 

The hiatus, therefore, compounded by disquiet and turmoil, has compelled a deeper introspection of the human-nature coexistence and equilibrium, and of environmental, socio-economic and psychological sustainability issues, under transient and perpetual stress.

Amidst this, artists and art projects have pivoted to realign core practices to adopt meaningful human and community centric approaches. Modalities of engagement with the audience have also undergone perceptible repositioning with near total shift to digital platforms, and a predominance of artists collectives and community based projects. 

This curatorial endeavor embraces a collaborative model, an art and media collective, centered on the three artists’ core practices to relocate social and ecological realities on a democratic forum. The artworks and the online digital site, act as a resource, to articulate and respond to shifts in contemporary socio-cultural conditions. Art Scene India, a 14 year old blog, a digital publishing site for art information, in response to collective concerns and in view of the pandemic situation, now accommodates a conceptual and aesthetic shift to incorporate curatorial expression as part of its vision.

The democratic approach builds upon the artists’ practice that is deeply informed by environment and gender sensitivities, and social, political and geographical concerns – arenas that assume great criticality in the contemporary context. Shanthamani Muddaiah, Shivani Aggarwal and Minal Damani locate and realign their preoccupations, and present their recent works, much of which has been produced during the pandemic and is thus layered with current apprehensions, as a subtext to the primary narrative.

Shanthamani views the world around her through a prismatic lens, questioning issues that interplay between the individual and the society, the self and the planet. Her strong concerns about urbanization and its impact on ecology are reflected in her drawings and sculptural installations. Loss of agricultural land, and livelihoods, migration, commodification, and exploitation of human and natural resources, and capitalism as the dominant culture are some of the issues that she analyses and expresses through her large scale depictions. For this exhibition, in view of the online site for display, small format pre-existing sculptures are presented, which paraphrase fresh import in light of current contexts.

Shivani’s introspective stance negotiates the complex interrelationships between the external world and the self. She navigates the intricacies of linkages between the material and intangible elements, expressing the impact and the fragility of these associations. Her works map constructs around ethos, culture, gender and identity, deploying material as a gestural entity. Shivani’s visuals are embedded with symbolism, representing notions of self, while exploring emotional flux and confinements of space in response to the situational crises. Stitching and crochet allude to gender as a subtext, and aesthetics acts as a tool to construct the narrative. The sculptural nature of the works are markedly evident through use of multiple media primarily photography, painting and stitching/crochet.

 

Minal’s works emanate from a deep autobiographical space, reflecting upon the self, in conjunction with the external world, charting responses, which have an intense personal connect. Through a rigorous mapping device to trace diagrams and graphs of events in real-time and space, the intricate patterns that are generated, appear as macroscopic capsules of land, memories and episodes. Her current series acts as a witness to these times, documenting the volatility of the financial markets as an indication of the prevailing emotional turmoil. The fluctuations allude to hopes and dreams, fears and apprehensions, where the range of emotions reflect life during the pandemic experience. 

The exhibition functions as a convergence of material, site and situation to define the contemporaneous of witnessing, experiencing and living through the ongoing pandemic. 

 

Shanthamani Muddaiah

   

Title: Hands Year: 2019 Medium: Fiberglass on wooden pedestal Edition: Edition of 3 Note: Artist’s proof of is on display in Bangalore Note: The artist has done “Hands” in different sizes and materials over several years. Size: Each Hand: 20 x 10.5 x 7.5 inches Pedestal: 22 x 19 x 1 inches Artist: Shanthamani Muddaiah

        

     

Title: Flying Landscape 
Year: 2016 
Medium: Aluminium tubes with steel and Paint 
Edition: Artist’s Proof
Note: Larger edition is on display in Paris
Size: 10.5 x 16.5 x 21 inches 
Artist: Shanthamani Muddaiah

Title: Temptation 

Medium: Graphite with Charcoal on Paper 
Year: 2020 
Edition: Artist’s Proof 
Note: One edition will be larger in size Size: 
Big Apple: 2.5 x 2.5 X 2.5 inches 
Small Apple: 0.75 x 1.72 x 1.5 inches 
Pedestal: 8.5 x 4 x 1 inch 
Artist: Shanthamani Muddaiah

Inquire

Shivani Aggarwal

Title: Trap 2 

Medium: Acrylics and stitching thread on handmade paper 

Year: 2020 

Size: 7.5 x 11 inches each, set of 6 

Artist: Shivani Aggarwal

Title: Stitch Forms (Drawings) 
Medium: Thread stitching on paper 
Year: 2020 
Size: 4 x 6 inches each, set of 5 works 
Artist: Shivani Aggarwal

Title: Trap 
Medium: Acrylics and copper crocheted wire on paper 
Year: 2020 
Size: 12 x 8 inches each, set of 10 works 
Artist: Shivani Aggarwal

Title: Untitled 

Medium: Photography, acrylics and stitching on archival paper 

Year: 2020 

Size: 12 x 12 inches each, set of 4 works 

Artist: Shivani Aggarwal

Title: Dilemma 
Medium: Acrylics and copper wire on paper 
Year: 2020 
Size: 3 x 5 ft wall mounted 
Artist: Shivani Aggarwal

Inquire

Minal Damani

Title: Rise and Fall 1 

Year: 2020 

Medium: Archival pen on paper 

Size: 12” x 15.5” 

Artist: Minal Damani

Title: Rise and Fall 2

Year: 2020 
Medium: Archival pen on paper 
Size: 12” x 15.5” 
Artist: Minal Damani

Title: Rise and Fall 3

Year: 2020 

Medium: Archival pen on paper 

Size: 12” x 15.5” 

Artist: Minal Damani

    

Title: Rise and Fall 4

Year: 2020 

Medium: Archival pen on paper 

Size: 12” x 15.5” 

Artist: Minal Damani

 

Title: Rise and Fall 5 

Year: 2020 

Medium: Archival pen on paper 

Size: 12” x 15.5” 

Artist: Minal Damani

Inquire

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Also read,

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