Lalit Kala Akademi, the country’s premium art gallery, which has eight galleries on two floors, has left artists, especially those who come to show their works from different parts of the country, outraged.
They have three main complaints against the Akademi. First, the lack of proper lights here, which affects the display of their work. The second, lack of a canteen and a complete ban on food or beverages inside the galleries over the past one year. And third, no promotion of the artists through media, which is the main responsibility of the gallery.
For past two years, the artists have alleged, some 250 lights have been non-functional. Used to highlight art works, these lights have not been sent for repairs. A trained engineer is required to fix them, but since the gallery has none, the artists suffer. Recently, a group of 12 artists from across the country went home disappointed.
Says curator Sunita Lamba: “When I asked for proper lights for our show, I was told that some 250 lights were non-functional. I brought this to the notice of Akademi chairman K. K. Chakravarty, but my complaint was ignored.”
Sculptor Asurvedh added: “The gallery in-charge allots space to artists without checking whether the lights are working or not. Small artists suffer as it not only affects the aesthetic display of their work, but buyers and visitors, too, take little interest in dimly visible work.”
He added that for shows by senior artists or big art galleries, lights and blowers are suddenly available.
The artists also complained that unlike two years ago, the Akademi no longer promotes shows by budding artists and that the media coordinator hired to send show details to the media does not do so. Santosh Sahni, an artist who displayed his worked recently, said: “We pay Rs.2,000 per day for a show here. Coming from places as far as the North-East, Bihar and Mumbai, with lots of works, is expensive. Only the rich hire private agencies to promote their shows. With such bad arrangements at this national art gallery, our shows flop.”
A senior Akademi official agreed and added on the condition of anonymity: “The sole aim of the Akademi is to promote budding artists. However, for the past two years, it has been promoting big private galleries who are here to do business. They were given the more expensive galleries free of cost repeatedly in the recent past. Thus, small artists who spend money from their pocket, end up suffering. Such big decisions cannot be taken without the chairperson’s involvement.”
Most artists also complain about the ban on eatables during inauguration and later.
“The artist community is like a family. Buyers and visitors like to view works patiently while sipping tea or coffee. Most private galleries, including those at the Triveni Kala Sangam and India Habitat Centre, have proper arrangements for food and cleaning in order to make visitors comfortable. But even during the inauguration here, we have to take the chief guest or guest to an open space behind the gallery on the ground floor, which serves as an open eating area. It is close to a garbage dump and gutter, and has no arrangement for sitting. We feel ashamed to take the guests up and down for refreshments repeatedly. This also affects the sale of our work adversely,” said artist Iqbal Krishna.
“However, the ban is openly violated during shows by senior artists or big galleries. During such shows, eating arrangements are made inside. I protested against this during the recent exhibition of works by veteran artists Ram Kumar and A. Ramachandran by big private galleries. The security personnel who frisk and don’t allow us to take anything inside told me: ‘ Upar se order hai [we have orders from the top]”.
“Akademi officials use blowers and sip tea inside, but artists are not allowed to do the same,” added Asurvedh.
Confirming that only 70 lights were non-functional, Akademi spokesperson R.K. Mohanty said: “The repair of one imported light costs Rs.45,000, while a new Indian light comes for Rs.50,000. So things get delayed due to ‘file procedures’.”
Mr. Mohanty added that visitors may dirty the floor of the gallery and the walls, so a ban on eating on gallery premises was considered one-and-half years ago. We are thinking of developing an eating area, in basement or elsewhere.”
On promotion of shows, gallery in-charge agreed saying there were loopholes as his “data was old”.
