Chandra Ilango Visual Art Foundation was started by senior artist A.V. Ilango in memory of his wife, a professor of French in Stella Maris, who passed away six years ago. Over a static-filled call — the residual effect of cyclone Vardah, Ilango recounts, “My wife was passionate towards the cause of art and artists, and wanted to support them in any way she could.”
Establishing a foundation was his way of carrying her work forward. Besides teaching a large number of children and adults at his studio, Ilango’s Artspace in Chetpet, he decided to take it a step further and help budding artists across South India through an initiative called South Indian Art Exhibition.
In its first edition in 2013, with over 100 artists from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu submitting their works, it was a major hit, recollects Ilango. Ever since, the event has been an annual affair at Lalit Kala Akademi. The fourth edition was launched on Wednesday in the presence of eminent artist S. G. Vasudev, regional secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi Rm. Palaniappan, artist and director of Forum Art Gallery Shalini Biswajit, director of Auromatrix Holdings Private Limited Shekar Sitaraman, and art enthusiasts.
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“For the show, we invite artists between 18 and 35 years to submit their works. The idea is to encourage upcoming artists. Most galleries only invest in and exhibit works of senior artists; there are hardly any organisations to help the youngsters,” he says.
The South Indian Art Exhibition has helped identify and support talent. “We follow a rigorous procedure to select our artists. Most of the winners of our exhibition have gone on to win National Awards. Vijay Pichumani, Srinivasa Reddy, Elancheliyan and Potrarasan are a few examples,” he says with pride.
The artists are asked to submit photos of their works — printmaking, photographs, sculptures and paintings. After the preliminary selection, they send their original works to Cholamandal Artists’ Village, where a jury decides on the best works that are later displayed at the Lalit Kala Akademi. From among the display, four Foundation Awards (worth Rs. 25,000), and seven Jury Awards (worth Rs. 10,000) will be given. That apart, artist Kalpana Yuvraj has also introduced a rolling trophy for a remarkable work from the lot. Shekar Sitaraman will also sponsor Rs. 10,000 a month for a whole year for one selected artist.
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“The current edition also includes the works of artists such as Asma Menon, Tejo Mayam and Shalini Biswajit among others, and a talk on ‘Context for Contemporary Art’ by Pithamber R. Polsani, dean, School of Advanced Studies and Research, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore,” says Ilango, who also plans to take the show to other States in the following years.
Meanwhile, he has also curated a bunch of nine artists — four from Chennai, four from Delhi and one from Australia — who will be exhibiting their works as part of a collateral event with Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, in Mill Hall at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016.