From the galleries, exhibitions, auctions and art appreciation events, art has come a long way. It has travelled out from within the four walls and opened up to be available to all.
Soon we will see a Street Art Fest and Kala Mela by Kalakriti Art Gallery and Art@Telangana, putting Hyderabad in the hot and happening art circuit for a couple of weeks. It’s breaking the exclusive-elitist notion and making forays into the streets and nooks and crannies of the city, where the common man goes.
The art work is seen floating on the sails of yacht adding colour to the otherwise drab Hussainsagar. Making art more friendly is art in schools and this isn’t the mandatory art class. Artists, gallery owners, curators see this as a welcome change and are much kicked about making art more approachable.
The recently-concluded Indian Photography Festival 2016 is a clear indicator of the changing trend. The exhibition saw photographs of around 30 photographers exhibited in and around the lanes and bylanes of Hyderabad. Avani Rao Gandra who curated a segment of the festival for Iconart Gallery at Chowmahalla Palace explains, “The idea of the exhibition was to display the essence of Hyderabad in its by lanes. The chaos, its sounds, smells, the people who make the city what it is, are all showcased. The photographs were displayed in three clusters, at Chowmahalla Palace, on the streets of Laad Bazar and at Sardar Mahal thus enabling the common man a glimpse of a different life and also to make the exhibits a part of tourist sites more easily.”
She adds, “Art stepping out of galleries is good. But we have to safeguard where it is stepping and how it is landing. A mismatched idea of public art show will be a bad idea. Art has to be receptive, it has to give meaning to the purpose.”
“What about knowledge and awareness?” points out artist Ramana Reddy. He is of the opinion that art in public places can also be educative. He observes that the new breed of artists are in tune with the times and the mindset of people. “Abstract art will not make sense to a lay man, who might simply walk past the art without taking a second look. But when it is easy, it is appreciated by more people. Street art installation is not meant to be appreciated by the common man. An art installation of mine in 1995 to spread awareness about AIDS involved an installation with condoms. That was a time when condoms were a taboo topic but it was made with a purpose so the connect with the subject was quick,” he explains.
Taking art to a whole new level, Daira Art Centre introduced ‘Artful thinking’, a first of its kinds art syllabus/curriculum for school students in India which includes comprehensive monthly exercises based on contemporary Indian artists. The purpose of the project being, to “inculcate art appreciation and encourage students to think, ask questions, build original ideas and put them down on paper,” explains Atiya Amjad. Towards this end, the project will work closely with Teach for India, Hyderabad and nearly 60 local schools.
Curators are also keen to see more new venues for art. Curator Kaali Sudheer feels the city has a lot of potential keeping in mind the inflow of tourists during the peak season. “Imagine an art garden in Shilparamam with a little of landscaping to go with the idea of an art garden. With the evening breeze turning a little chilly, no one will refuse to walk past a beautiful open gallery. Also the foot over bridge at LV Prasad Eye Institute in Banjara Hills can be converted into a public gallery, he says, all excited.
Established artists like Laxman Aelay feel the new generation of artists can also tap new avenues to express themselves. “Europe’s culture of street art isn’t just art. It is an expression of the city, the youth and the issues. The other positive thing about art in public places is about letting the common man peek into the process of art,” says Laxman Aelay.
