Governor P. Sathasivam, on Saturday, said art should be capable of influencing human mind.
Inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of Kerala Fine Arts Society here, Mr. Sathasivam said art had always reflected mankind’s cultural exchanges. Each form of art should sow the seed of social reform in people’s minds. He said efforts should be made to bring to the stage several art forms that had of late been relegated to history books.
Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran said the art, music and literature of Malayalis were all of world standards. “It’s a tough call to be a renowned artist. Today’s superstar is someone who charges maximum fee, but the measure of real artistic genius is not financial.”
Purpose of art
Jnanpith laureate M.T. Vasudevan Nair, in his keynote speech, said that the purpose of art should be to cull out the value of human life. Everyone might not succeed in reaching their destinations, but the attempt, the pursuit, was in itself an important one, he said.
The veteran littérateur said it was heartening for a city to have its own abode for art. Accessible museums, theatres and art hubs should mark out a city as different and in a league of its own from the rest. He said Kerala Fine Arts Society had seen several generations and accommodated them all, hoping it would continue to support future artistic expressions as well. Artist Namboodiri, who was honoured at the event, termed it an unforgettable evening.
