On a common platform

Interactive session

The speakers comprising artists, art critics and curators discussed and debated the pros and cons of the forthcoming art festival. 

Unmindful of the heavy downpour, people stopped by even at the last minute to get a hang of what the art session was all about.

Armed with umbrellas and dressed in raincoats, the artists didn’t want to miss the evening.

The four speakers – Anil Kumar, Suresh Jayaram, Rajendra and Ravi Kumar Kashi dwelt on what the art festival was all about and why artists should participate in such a fest. 

The art festival, scheduled in Mumbai in November will have 150 stalls and each stall can house ten artists.

“This is the scale on which the festival has been planned. There are two things that
we would like to bring to the notice of the artists – the galleries and the artists.

Galleries are far and few in number across the country and not every gallery allows artists to showcase their work. This festival will serve as a perfect platform for a
dialogue between galleries and artists,” said Rajendra, editor of Art Journal. The
art festival will help expand the art market, he added.

Ravi Kumar Kashi observed that the recession had slowed down the market. 

“Things are looking up now and people have begun investing in properties, including art. The art festival will have artists display their work and business will be conducted on a direct basis, without any agents.” 

Anil Kumar, who also spoke on the occasion, wanted to know how the art festival will attract artists from the rural belt of the country.

“It would be apt to debate alternative spaces to display the artists’ work. Cities have galleries but where do the rural artists display their work. This festival could open up a whole new meaning for them,” he reasoned.

While the speakers highlighted the importance of the art festival, the audience, which comprised artists and art critics, wanted to know how this would help the artists and how different it was from an art summit. 

“As I understand it, the idea of the festival is to provide maximum exposure to the artists. It would prove interactive because the festival would have artists and buyers on a common platform,” said P Sudhakaran, an art critic.

Smitha, an artist, was curious to know more about the festival. 

“I am associated with the performing arts. There’s no dearth of space for performing artists but I just wanted to know what this festival is about,” she said.