The exhibition titled, “Towards a New Viewership/Audience” is an ongoing exhibition of contemporary Indian art at gallery Art Konsult from 13 August to 13 September. This exhibition is conceptualized and curated by Rajashree Biswal and presented by Art and Deal Magazine, New Delhi and Bakul Foundation, Bhubaneshwar.
This exhibition showcases the art works of 36 artists including the exciting and emerging young contemporary artists as well as the eminent artists of India. They include Sharmila Samant, Ravi Agrawal, Rajendra Kapse, Surekha, Manjunath Kamath, Babu Eeshwar Prasad, Debraj Goswami, Birendra Pani, Zakkir Hussain, Pratul Dash, Alok Bal, Tapan Dash, Rajiba Lochan Pani, Biswaranjan Kar and Prithwiraj Mali, Hrushikesh Biswal, Satyabhama Majhi, Ramakrishna Behera Soumitra Gouri and others.
All these eminent artists have come together for a cause that is a major concern of the art world- the question of viewership/audience. This show has been an attempt to expand the viewership/audience of art. That is why this show was exhibited first in Bhubaneswar as a part of the Bakul Art Fest in January 2009 before being exhibited in Delhi. The exhibition of these eminent and emerging artists in Bhubaneswar was a huge success in terms of viewership as about 2000 people, which included 1700 first time viewers, cutting across class and demography. In the exhibition in Delhi also, the concern with viewership is re-invoked even as it is relocated to the metropolitan niche.
The highlight of the Bakul Art Fest 2009 was also the painting of the Wall of Peace, which was a 600 ft long public wall in the heart of Bhubaneswar, painted by over 300-400 individuals including the eminent artists being exhibited, local artists, art students, school students, deaf and dumb children, autistic children, ragpickers, tourists and passers by. It was a mass celebration of both Art and Peace. Also there was a week long video evening showing the contemporary video art by the Indian artists. The show is supported by the Art & Deal Magazine on the eve of celebration of its 10th Anniversary.
It features artistic expressions on a wide range of media such as paintings, drawing based mixed media, sculpture, video art, photography and installations. They engage with contemporary concerns related to (a) nature, self and the ‘other’ (b) urbanization and the narcissistic trope of desire (c) politics of everyday life (d) present human condition and the embodied self (e) power and violence.
CURATORIAL NOTE
Contemporary visual art may give a critical, contextual, analytical and reflective picture about the present world. But in order to be an effective language, it must reach to the wider viewers/audience, as meaning is produced at the dynamic moment of interaction of the reader and the text. Otherwise its social function is denied being restricted only within the nexus of artists/art world/ gallery/auction house and functions primarily as a commoditized object. But ironically, the notion of
viewership/audience is a less addressed question in contemporary Indian art in general let alone in the less happening art scene of Odisha.
Despite having its rich legacy of diverse visual culture and sensibility since ancient time (temple architecture and sculpture, traditional and folk art, tribal art etc.), Odisha is strongly lacking awareness about contemporary visual art practices. It may be due to internal inertia, lack of proper platform as well as the socio-economic and cultural negligence.
This exhibition is a part of larger concern of expansion of viewers/ audience in different spaces including the gallery space (i.e. the expanded viewership of people from diverse disciplines, school children, common men and others besides the defined art world people). It comes under the broader aegis of the activities of Bakul Foundation in creating a sensible and critical community of children/ people from different walks of life through art, literature and other cultural activities. The exhibition has been designed to incorporate varied modes, mediums and approaches of contemporary expressions in Indian art. It is an attempt for the viewers to be gradually acquainted with the contemporary visual language to respond and react towards the art work, to have better understanding of politics of ‘art’ and ‘contemporary life’ in a broader sense. Here the
exhibition space of gallery is not the limiting space but the liminal space for constant negotiation and expansion. As a part of the curatorial process, there has been constant interaction with the artists about their ‘understanding’ of viewership/audience of contemporary art. The varied opinions and important suggestions surfaced during the discussion have been a part of the catalogue.
Envisioning this effort in opening of new spaces for further engagement and a continuous process towards a constructive dimension.
Rajashree Biswal, Art Historian and Curator, New Delhi
