Bringing art to the broader public: why the RMZ Foundation partnered with the Goa Affordable Art Festival
RMZ Ecoworld in Bengaluru recently featured a selection of artworks from GAAF 2020. We showcase some of this creativity, and share insights from Anu Menda of RMZ Foundation.
Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 465 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.
Founded by Siddharth Kerkar and Subodh Kerkar, the Goa Affordable Art Festival (GAAF) aims to promote art by connecting a wider range of artists to a broader base of audiences. See Part I and Part II of our earlier photo essays on the third edition of GAAF, held at Museum of Goa.
A smaller selection of these 900 artworks by 270 artists was brought by RMZ Foundation to Bengaluru’s RMZ Ecoworld Gallery last month.
“The vision behind bringing the fest to Bengaluru was to give these artists ample visibility in newer spaces across the country,” explains Anu Menda, Managing Trustee of RMZ Foundation, in a chat with YourStory.
Exhibiting artists include Manisha Agrawal, Deeksha Sahu, Gayathri Kasireddy, Sukalyan, Anand Prakash, Rajesh Suresh Choudhari, Christeena Shaju, Brojeswer Mondal, Shad Fatima, Ankur Ahuja, Mayuri Sinha, and Samarth Manoj Mistry. Some of the artworks are priced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh.
(Note: These photographs were taken before the national lockdown due to coronavirus, and the visit to the gallery was not in violation of any public safety guidelines. In future editions of this column, we will explore the response of the artistic community to the COVID-19 crisis.)
“As one of the most dynamic cities in India, Bengaluru enjoys the privilege of playing host to a diverse and vibrant population,” Anu says. They help make art an integral part of this global city, thus creating its unique identity.
“An artist’s journey is exceptionally inspirational. There are countless struggles on the path to being celebrated and established,” she explains.
“It was important for us to showcase such youthful, creative and vibrant art to an audience of motivated and energetic professionals,” Anu affirms. Ecoworld is host to over 50 companies, accounting for around 60,000 employees.
“In its mission to make art available to the broader public, in particular to underserved communities, our foundation intends to provide direct support to - and facilitate partnerships between - emerging young artists and the masters,” she adds.
The foundation is collaborating with artists to plan and install their works in spaces across RMZ assets in other cities as well, like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. “The endeavour is to have many such multi-sensory art installations in our assets over the next few years,” Anu emphasies.
RMZ Foundation aspires to accentuate Indian art to the global art scene via engagement and collaboration across the art fraternity. See our photo essays on the earlier gallery exhibitions on printmaking and sculpture, and artist highlights of Ravinder Reddy and Dhruva Mistry.
The Ecoworld Gallery is equipped with state of the art technology and logistical infrastructure for accommodating the exacting standards required for contemporary art installations, Anu proudly says. Special events can be held with its trademark quality, service, and panache.
As trends in Indian art, Anu observes that the art scene here has been evolving and is keeping pace with the global art scene. “There is an increasing openness to such art endeavours and they mark a general concern and care for the retention of a public realm,” she explains.
“Outdoor art compels attention. Irrespective of our understanding and appreciation of the medium, public art gives us the opportunity to interact intimately with the pieces,” Anu adds.
Having a large and easily-accessible gallery in Ecoworld gives the added advantage of a captive audience who can engage with the artworks on a daily basis. “This happens in an easy manner within their working environments,” Anu says. The broader public from outside can also access the indoor gallery and outdoor exhibits, once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted and conditions for public gatherings improve.
Now, what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and nourish your inner creative core?
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(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)