Curation and culture: How Museum of Art and Photography showcases creativity through the ages

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 815 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.

In Part I of our photo essay from Bengaluru’s Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), we shared highlights from two exhibitions. Titled Rhyme Unbroken and Outside In, they showcase the work of artists Krishna Reddy, Meera Mukherjee, and Jaidev Baghel.

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Co-curated by MAP’s Kuzhali Jaganathan and Arnika Ahldag, the exhibits include prints, sculptures, installations, and textile work. MAP has a comprehensive collection of paintings, photographs and other artworks, as well as a research and conservation lab, cafe, a member’s lounge, a rooftop restaurant, and a sculpture garden.

“Krishna Reddy was truly an international artist, unbound by conventional constraints. He believed deeply in what he stood for. In 1968, he created a print called Demonstrator, inspired by student protests against consumerism and other issues of that time,” co-curator Kuzhali Jaganathan tells YourStory.

After studying and practising in India, he collaborated with other artists in post-World War II Paris at the Atelier 17 workshop studio. Many of Reddy’s works reflect the growing disconnect between humans, nature, and spirituality.

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One of the techniques he used was viscosity printing. “Different colours are applied with different viscosities on the same plate and then printed together,” Jaganathan explains.

Despite the hardships, Reddy’s work is about moving forward and marveling at the world. “We close the exhibit with his meaningful quote: To marvel is the beginning of learning,” Jaganathan sums up.

The other exhibition titled Outside In features sculptures of Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel. It delves into the modernist influences on the two artists that emerged in newly-independent India.

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The exhibits reflect daily activities in rural life and the symbolism the artists chose to depict. MAP has also released a publication with photographs and commentary on the artists and their innovative practices.

Baghel, born in Chhattisgarh, features a range of deities and demi-gods in his works. He won several awards, beginning with the All India National Award for Master Craftsman in 1977. He was one of the founding members of the crafts co-operative Paramparik Bastar Shilpi Pariwar.

“Some of the sculpted figures include traditional items like the liquor drinking vessels, which are intricately designed and reflect local customs,” Jaganathan describes.

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Mukherjee was a writer, sculptor and artist-anthropologist, and was awarded the Padma Shri. Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), she studied in Delhi and Munich, and specialised in indigenous sculpting practices.

“Mukherjee’s approach included community-based practices. She worked with mothers and children, allowing them to contribute drawings. She facilitated collaborations with other artisans,” Jaganathan says.

Her work thus involved not just her own creations but also facilitating livelihoods through her art. “Mukherjee’s community-based practices extended to supporting artisans and creating opportunities for others,” Jaganathan 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 MAP.)