Appreciation and livelihood – how Chennai’s Gallery Veda promotes art and stimulates markets
In our second photo essay from Gallery Veda in Chennai, we present more artistic highlights and curator insights.
Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 810 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 in 2012, Chennai’s Gallery Veda runs two art spaces in the city, one at Rutland Gate 5th street and another at the Park Hyatt hotel. See Part I of our photo essay on its art exhibition here.
The gallery was started with the aim of fostering an understanding of art and a market for artworks. It encourages visitors to appreciate art more by enhancing their living spaces with affordably-priced works of art from the gallery’s collection.
“We have more than 800 works of art created by around 200 artists,” gallery co-founder Preeti Garg tells YourStory. Earlier exhibitions at the gallery have been titled Reflections, Nostalgia, Sensation, Anthesis, Factual Fictions, Wired, and Recursor.
The gallery has come a long way since its first all-women show titled Firm Ground Beneath Her. It has showcased the works of emerging creators as well as well-known artists such as Chandra Bhattacharjee, Seema Kohli, Arpana Caur, and Jogen Choudhury.
Gallery Veda offers a full-spectrum of services including choosing artworks for home décor, art consulting, and corporate gifting services. It also helps commissioning artworks to artists depending on the art buyers’ preferences.
Garg sees a lot of potential for professionals in India’s art ecosystem, and opportunities for aspiring artists. “Artists can do a lot of public and architectural projects and also take up teaching as their profession,” she observes.
Some limitations in the field still remain. "But it’s slowly generating new opportunities,” she adds.
“I’m very hopeful and positive about art becoming important in our daily lives. We as galleries are playing a key role here,” Garg signs off.
Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at the gallery.)