“God created artists, and said, ‘Let there be Triennials’,” jested the senior cultural critic and art curator Johny ML, the Curatorial Director of the Odisha Triennial of International Art (OTIA), at the Delhi declaration of the international art festival which is to take place in Odisha this December. Art enthusiasts and collectors gathered at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi last week to witness the declaration, with a host of celebrated artists and curators in attendance.
OTIA will be organised by the Artist Network Promoting Indian Culture (ANPIC) with a powerful vision to bring Odia art, alongside various other Indian and international art forms, to the larger focus of the contemporary Odia and Indian art paradigm, and simultaneously hark art lovers and producers back to the wilfully forgotten land of Odisha, the cradle of creative talent exemplified in artist communities and villages; most famously, Raghurajpur. In more recent times, Odia arts and crafts, distinguished for their exquisite detailing, vibrant contrasting of hues and the use of unique art materials including earth and sand, have received little to no recognition and investment in their favour at the national level.
Sashanka Mohapatra, the Managing Trustee of ANPIC, the Odisha-based cultural platform that seeks to bring a variety of performing and visual arts to Odisha and to promote indigenous Odia art forms and artists, elaborated on envisioning the Triennial, set to take place at the intersection of the three temple cities, Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark; thus also aiming at promoting tourism, leading to a boost in the state economy. With OTIA conceived as an exercise in democratising art production and appreciation, Mohapatra emphasised on maximising participation and bringing forth all formerly unrecognised art forms to the cultural platform of Odisha. “We especially encourage young artists to take part, and senior artists to mentor them,” he stated.
Among the distinguished names whose works would be exhibited at the Triennial are Jatin Das, Ravinder Reddy, Prabhakar Kolte, and Jogen Chowdhury. Johny ML talked about how the commercial market for art declined at the end of the first decade of the millennium and how art galleries like the Lalit Kala Akademi and the NGMA came to be seen as elite and exclusive spaces. “In present times, however, artists have become very vocal, and strong in their visual expression, but there is no longer a seller’s market for art.” He emphasised how this state of affairs necessitated Art Biennales and Triennials to be held in order to make art more accessible to the larger public, and for recognition and financial support to be claimed by living artists who require these resources for sustenance. Along similar lines, artist Jatin Das delivered a powerful statement on the importance of creating a market for contemporary Indian art.
Johny ML illustrated how important festivals held across India, including the Lalit Kala Akademi Triennial and the famous Kochi-Muziris Biennale, have drawn international art into the purview of Indian art lovers and established a global platform, with OTIA aspiring for a similar outreach. How OTIA seeks to stand out, however, he said, is to resist nepotist approaches and introduce an array of fresh faces into the Indian art scene. He also highlighted the importance of marking a distinction between ‘national’ and ‘regional’ art aesthetics, especially in the case of the many women artists whose works have not been recognised as much as those of their male counterparts. Another aim of OTIA is to establish the missing infrastructure required in the state for the growth of indigenous and modern arts, and the move away from metropolitan cities to localised centres in the states highlights that. “OTIA is going to be a hub where not only art and culture will flourish, but also tourism and infrastructure will develop,” Johny ML said.
He also briefly spoke about the broad blueprint of the Triennial, which would include exhibits on international art, national art, indigenous arts, a unique section on street art and public art, and one on the crafts produced in Odisha and the neighbouring states, in addition to smaller sections exhibiting cinematic, theatrical and literary cultures. Welcoming criticism, he said, it will add to the energy of creative production.
