Last year, around this time, Grand by GRT was coping with the tragedy of floods. A year later, as the rest of the hotel has been revamped, the first floor has morphed into a restaurant inspired by Parisian art cafes.
The Art Bistro is the newest addition to the list of in-house eateries that includes Bazaar, Steam and Whistles and J.Hind. But, the days-old restaurant stands apart from the rest, as it doubles up as a gallery. Vikram Cotah, Chief Operating Officer, an art collector himself, says that the new space, besides showcasing art, will also be a platform for live music, art demos, creative talks and so on.
The L-shaped restaurant, which has a long buffet table along one corner and a limited number of dining tables and chairs spread across, also flaunts the abstract paintings of A. Viswam and the mythical works of Veera Santhanam.
Sujatha Narayanan, curator of the gallery, says they would display works of two artists at a time, and going forward, the curated list will also include sculptors, photographers, and budding artists from South India. The current works were part of Sujatha’s home gallery, Vanjula’s Art Atrium. She says, “I wanted them to be more visible. Now, even as people enjoy their food, they can appreciate the works.”
And, probably, also buy them: the works are for sale, and the staff at the hotel has been trained specifically to assist customers.
At the launch, Carnatic composer and vocalist Sudha Raghunathan noted the importance of art that acts as a bridge between people and places. About appreciating art, she said, “Art critic John Ruskin had said, ‘Fine Art is that in which the hand, the head and the heart of man go together’. When you look at art, you need to let the beauty flow in, without judging or analysing it.” She added, “Why can’t Chennai be like Paris, which has people appreciating dance, music, artefacts and paintings? We have a rich culture and an amazing repertoire of culturally-rich works. Why can’t we have a museum displaying all this?”
Even as the questions gave something for the audience to ponder, artists Viswam and G. Raman set up their canvases to give a demo. Despite the chatter around, the artists created their pieces, which probably might find a space on the walls of the Bistro soon.
