[PhotoSparks] How the Whitefield Art Collective paints civic pride as creativity with sustainability

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In this photo essay, we showcase the month-long exhibition of the Whitefield Art Collective at VR Bengaluru, and its message of sustainability and civic pride!

In the earlier 80 posts, we brought you a wide range of creative photographs from an art fair, world music festival, painting fair, telecom expo, art museum, mobile showcase, math museum, social hackathon, bookstore, co-working space, sensorium, international design week, flower show, outdoor ads, startup roadshow, computer museum, startup T-shirts, business cards, art therapy, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, Vesak, jazz festival, modern art gallery, ecopreneurs, painter-poets, health activists, eNGOs and digital innovators.

The month-long display of creative works by the Whitefield Art Collective at VR Bengaluru hopes to connect artistic and environmentally-aware communities in the city. The initiative is sorely needed at a time of increased urbanisation, pollution and waste dumping. The exhibition takes art out of the usual confines of a gallery, and brings it into the daily lives of shoppers and commuters.

The mixed-media installations included some works from other parts of the country, such as paintings from Northeast India (by Anand Panchal) and a bell made from rubber slippers washed up on Goa’s shores! ‘Chillies’ and ‘Bubblegum God’ by Subodh Kerkar were some of the installations that really stood out. Kerkar gave up his medical profession to pursue his love for visual art.

Jaivardhan Singh Channey’s installation ‘Paper Boat’ is a sad indictment of the polluted Bellandur Lake. Kalyan Rathore’s seven-foot installation captures the beauty of a water drop. Munira Diwan morphs sculptures on top of plants. Puja Bahri’s sculptures blend video and digital elements. Other featured artistes were Vishnu Sonwane, Guru Kinkar Dhaag, Rajsekar Radhakrishnan, Yash Bhandari, Ayush Joy, Mathuri Kathe and RM Anupama.

The exhibition was supported by Art Chutney (an online platform that lets you browse and invest in artworks). Civic pride along with sustainability is the need of the hour, and this green message was also driven home by the band Thaalavattam, a band that uses instruments made of recycled waste plastic and metal (‘reduce, reuse, retune’).

So what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint or to tap your creative energies – or both?

Got a creative photograph to share? Email us at [email protected]!

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