Pleasant mornings with a temperature settling four notches below the season’s average at 23.3 degrees Celsius in Delhi tell us that monsoon has arrived just in time, as a blessing for all. This issue covers a grand event which was a fusion of theatre, performance art, and installation: An ode to the grand master Ramkinkar Baij. Organized by Vivan Sundaram (who works in many different media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation, and video art,) called ’409 Ramkinkars’, envisioned a cross-genre performance from our location in 21st century India, while revisiting the creative milieu of Ramkinkar Baij who was an exemplary painter, a superb sculptor, a celebrated singer, and more.
“Ramkinkar, during his time had suggested that before taking a seat the audience should be asked to walk on the stage, and take a look at his sets for a better understanding of what they are going to be a part of. Similarly, the audience in this performance was asked to enter the exhibition, as if entering an art exhibition to see a recreation of the artist’s studio. And there it was: this was theatre that made two hours tick away quickly, and Sundaram’s works were part of the elaborate set of the piece” – Anshita Arora points out the intricate details that left a mark with the audience, even after the event.
Further, we have reports, reviews and a photo essay of some interesting exhibitions and books. The essay by Waswo. X. Waswo on the Making of an Inclusive Mountain Project 365 and the documentation of Tiruvannamalai is a gripping tale of first-hand experience by the writer. “Indeed, the not-too-distant peak is circled by a ring of clouds. There is something uncanny about it. And then, within moments, the nebulous halo vanishes like an apparition. The first rays of the sun are casting long, dark green shadows across the fields.” – Waswo. X. Waswo talks about the mountain at a distance around which the plot of the story revolves.
The report on Art education in the age of digital reproduction by H.A. Anil Kumar. “The main question with a majority of Indian art education, today, excepting the genuinely renowned ones, is whether to accept it as an irreversibly failed institution or a construct which still has hopes of resurrection. Most outside would prefer the former; and most inside would hang on to the latter” – H.A. Anil Kumar reports the problems faced by students who take up Art and their
struggle in the age of digital reproduction.
The issue also features a photo essay of the exhibition ‘Playing Around -d-is-play’ covered by our correspondent. The exhibition was organized by Shield Art Initiative in association with NIV Art Centre where Shield is an initiative by two young women Pranamita Borgohain, and Suchismita Mohanty, to embrace art in everyday life which was held at NIV Art Centre, New Delhi, and was on view from July 7 – 21, 2015.
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Siddhartha Tagore
