Ravindra Kalakshetra is hosting the seventh segment of its year-long celebration marking its 50th anniversary. An 8-foot clay sculpture of a bespectacled man in a reflective mood, created by artist K. Narayan Rao, was specially commissioned for the celebrations.
“This represents the happy half a century that has gone by for Ravindra Kalakshetra, the varied forms of art and culture that it has been host to, and the people who have made it a part of Bengaluru’s cultural history,” said Srinivas G. Kappanna, chairman of the cultural committee formed especially for ‘Nenapinokali’, the year-long cultural extravaganza.
For this segment of the celebrations, nearly 500 painters and sculptors from all over the State gathered at Ravindra Kalakshetra last week to display their work and discuss the role of art in society. To embrace inclusivity, organisers laid out a 50-foot canvas and invited the public to pick up paint brushes and unleash their creativity. “The next segment will focus on music,” said Mr. Kappanna.
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During the course of the celebrations, there was also a panel discussion on ‘Contemporary art, education and challenges’.
“Should the traditional forms of art be retained with no modernism introduced, as seen through the artist’s creative eye? Should art be catered to the buyer’s eye, or just be locked in the aesthetics of the creator?” asked Ravi Kumar Kashi.
Writer M.H. Krishnaiah said traditional sculpture was a storehouse of creative detailing, as seen in the caves of Badami where artists as far back as in the 6th century brought in the dancing Shiva even before the Nataraja was visualised in Tamil Nadu. “Isn’t this ingenuity, how can tradition be forgotten?” he asked.
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The art installations will be up for another two days for visitors to enjoy.