In an attempt to acknowledge the roots of a great artistic tradition established by communities which have been consistently kept outside the ambit of established art history through blatant marginalisation, the National Tribal Art Conclave organised by Lalit Kala Akademi began here on Monday. The conclave at Rabindra Bhavan, Meghdoot II, will be on till April 6.
The event was inaugurated by well-known art critic Keshav Malik.
The Akademi hosted its 55th National Exhibition of Art recently wherein it awarded 10 artists with national awards for their contemporary art works.
The Institute has now brought 100 artists from all over the country to the conclave where the tribal and contemporary artists will experiment and create art forms to narrate their landscape.
Speaking about the event, Lalit Kala Akademi chairman Dr. K.K. Chakravarty said: “The transformation, over the past two centuries, of forests from non fiscal, non timber, ecological habitats into timber mines, empty areas for development, carbon sinks and fiscal resource have deprived the folk and tribal artists of kinship, imagery and rituals. The co-evolutionary inter-dependence of human and non-human, organic and inorganic communities has also been lost.”
“The presentation of these arts in urban festivals and formal state celebrations rather than celebrating them in their unique context has tended to dilute the arts of their relevance in addressing the rhythm of life and livelihood,’’ he added.
These artistic work, according to a Lalit Kala Akademi official, has been appreciated in the international market for its aesthetic sensibility and authenticity but has failed to get its due in it’s own homeland.
“This initiative by Lalit Kala Akademi is to give the ‘Tribal Arts’ its due credit and create a mass awareness,’’ said Dr. Chakravarty.
Gond, Warli, Rathwa, Muria Gaud, Konda,Tiba, Manjuli, Dhuri, Maring, Maram, Mizo, Mishing and Meena are few of the tribal traditions that are being showcased in the conclave.
The art works produced by the artist in the conclave will go on to become a part of 'XIIth Triennale India's National Pavilion”.
