Art News: Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014

Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 is less than 100 Days Away

Kochi is gearing up to host the second edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, as the organisers of the 108-day
mega art event starting on December 12 are busy with the preparations for the much-acclaimed mega art festival that is slated to conclude on March 29, 2015.

Jitish Kallat, the curator and artistic director for the biennale being organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), said the second edition would feature around 85 artists from over 28 countries. Some of the key artists have already made site visits, and they include Franceso Clemente, Sir Anish Kapoor, Christian Waldvogel, K G Subramanyan, Sudhir Patwardhan, Ghulammohammed Sheikh and Namboodiri, among others.

Kallat said it was a “rewarding moment” for him when conversations with artist-colleagues, concretize into projects on the ground in Kochi. “The embryonic form of the project is taking shape,” he noted. “The exhibition brings together art-works that picture versions of the world referencing history, geography, astronomy, time and myth, interlacing the terrestrial with the celestial.” Kallat had been engaged in a year-long research trip to select the artists for the much-awaited second edition.

KBF president Bose Krishnamachari said the foundation has retained most of the venues from last time. “But we will have a few additional venues and projects in a few public spaces. And we are looking forward to an engaging project put up by Kallat,” he added.

KBF has been organising several talks and cultural programmes as a run-up to the Biennale. Riyas Komu, Director of Programmes, said the KBF has always been mindful of the larger participation of the people to engage them with contemporary art. “To amplify it this time, we will be having several Programmes including the Student’s Biennale, Children’s Biennale, Artists’ Cinema project and various Cultural Programmes that will run parallel to the Biennale,” he added.

*Excerpts from Press Release '100 Days Away, Biennale 2014 Braces Up For Bigger Success'

Art in Interiors: Art With Paper

 Paper art, particularly installations made of paper give a contemporary twist to interiors 

'A thousand desires' - Ravikumar Kashi

Paper has a fragile and ethereal quality about it that tends to be equated with transience. However it can be a surprisingly durable medium, and has been extremely popular with artists for drawings and paintings. It has also found multiple uses in design and craft due to its versatility and ease of availability. Origami, quilling, quilting and moulding are some of the techniques which are customarily used to create art with paper.

Apart from its traditional usage, paper is now increasingly manipulated by contemporary artists to produce artworks which are displayed in galleries and at international events – sometimes to even convey a socially relevant message. For instance, French artist Paulo Grangeon  has created 1,600 little papier mâché pandas to raise awareness about the dwindling population of the pandas.

 

A combination of different types of paper and techniques has been put to creative use to come up with extraordinary artworks made entirely out of paper. Book art, which involves transforming the pages of an old book into amazing artworks, while artworks made out of paper pulp to resemble books can be equally fascinating. Elaborately detailed masks, life size sculptures and abstract installations are a few other options. As an installation, the transformation of paper has immense possibilities and can easily fit in any kind of décor in both residential and corporate spaces. Traditional forms such as animals and birds and decorative artifacts such as chandeliers are now given a contemporary touch to create stunning artworks.

 

When selecting paper art, keep in mind that scale plays a vital role and the larger the artwork the greater the impact. This is particularly true for installations which are either suspended from the ceiling or take up an entire wall. In such a case, a single artwork can be the highlight of the space, especially when combined with skilful lighting and other architectural features.

The possibilities are endless and the great thing about paper art is that it can be either minimal or intricate, and complement any form of decor.

This article was published in The Times of India - The Address yesterday. 
Images courtesy Ravikumar Kashi.

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Review: ‘Torrents’ at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Art Review:  ‘Torrents’ - Conflicts of power, self and society at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Six young artists from Southern India, some of whom have recently passed out from art college and others who are still studying in their final year have brought together an exhibition of their recent works in Bangalore.

Although, it might be considered a tad early for them to think about exhibiting their works, I feel that it actually gives them a head start. Based on critical opinion and other feedback from visitors, these artists have an excellent opportunity to expand their oeuvre and fine tune their skills. How they choose to use these inputs is of course entirely up to them.

Gandhi as an image and an icon is revered universally, but at the same time the name is often racked by controversies and scandals by a certain segment of the population. Anthony Joseph explores and portrays these paradoxical elements. One of the works titled, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Gandhi’ is quite apt for most of his works on display. Collages made of currency notes folded in a manner similar to Origami question the relevance and interpretation of Gandhian values in today’s context.

Anju Acharya’s fantasy world imagines humans and mutants, symbolizing a mutating world perhaps the effects of environmental degradation. A glimpse into a future, which may well be taking shape. After all, we are playing God!

Vikas S draws inspiration from the simple beauty of patterns in nature and recreates the rhythm and form through shapes, symmetry and movements of primitive organisms such as snails and centipedes. Pleasant works!

P Ramesh has sometimes borrowed figures from Greek mythology to represent and emphasize contemporary urban issues. Male dominance, violence against women, literacy and again the burden of decay in environment are some of the issues highlighted here.

Ashil Antony's paintings appear to be spontaneous sketches of birds, placed stark and dark against a white background. Ebey Edassery paintings are based on human emotions - angst, greed and desire which are depicted through a few figurative works and others which on the surface appear to be constructed from repetitive patterns and motifs.

Overall, the exhibition is a good attempt to reach out to a larger audience and there are a few interesting works here. However, I feel the disjointed effect could have been completely avoided by careful selection of the works either through a self curatorial effort or with the help of an external advisor.

On view till August 31st at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore. 
Let me know if you visit the show. And, which works did you like?

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Touch of Colour With Art

 Transform your home with an exclusive work of art - hand painted furniture adds a splash of vibrant colours in interiors

Everybody looks for that special and unique element in our surroundings, which can stand out and create a statement and define their style. Art has an intrinsic ability to transform the dynamics of the space and create an instant impression about the owner’s personality and taste. Paintings and sculptures are commonly used in home décor and are traditional forms of art; there are several other innovative and unconventional options.

One can opt for unusual and fun objects that are personalized, for instance hand painted furniture or other functional objects. Hand painted furniture such as tables and chairs have been popular for a long time, and limited edition and exclusive pieces painted by artists are also coveted for their distinctive style and individuality.

The idea is to display an original piece of artwork which completely fits into the space, yet reflects your personality faithfully. Therefore, a piece of furniture painted by an artist into a colourful work of art can easily become a centerpiece - these can be fun and quirky, have a vintage feel or have a folk art influence!

One can obtain these objects of furniture from art exhibitions which are built around such concepts or have
an artist create it according to your specifications. The latter allows greater freedom and helps in personalizing the artwork completely, and in the process helps in creating something totally unique.

Functional and utilitarian objects are rarely seen as objects of décor and adding a dash of colour and personality to them can be immensely satisfying. Art need not always be serious and contemplative, but can also be whimsical. On the other hand, artist designed and painted furniture need not be only about portraits, figures and bright colours, but these can also have a monochrome palette, use abstract motifs and be minimal, depending on your choice.

This article was published in The Times of India-The Address recently. 
Images courtesy artists Mahirwan Mamtani and Yusuf Arakkal.

If you enjoyed reading this article, do share it using the social media widgets at the top and subscribe to receive regular updates from Art Scene India

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Artist Profile: Anil Kumar Simhadri

This week we profile Anil Kumar Simhadri, an artist based in Vadodara. Anil studied Printmaking (MFA) in 2011 from Khairagarh and BFA in 2009 from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. He is a recipient of HRD national scholarship for young artists, New Delhi and Arnawaz Vasudev scholarship, Bangalore.

Anil explains, "The lingering thought of not having freedom to choose what I want and what I do not want seems to be haunting me. In fact this is what makes me create images, live and move on. I am trying to depict life’s conflicts and struggles on people’s faces. Perhaps it is the lack of freedom or not having enough courage to face the reality around me that becomes a source and force to construct my images."

You can view more of his works here

Art Scene India now features artists on a regular basis. If you wish to be profiled on artsceneindia.com, please send in your submissions according to the UPDATED guidelines listed under Submit.

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