The first Madras Art Weekend kicks off today! We catch up with curator Upasana Asrani and artists to unravel the festival

Featuring over 15 artists from Chennai and beyond, the first edition of Madras Art Weekend promises exciting conversations for art experts, enthusiasts and their ilk
‘Vanakkam’ by Ami Gupta | Seeking Patterns by Aswatha (Anjali Ponni) | Upasana Asrani
‘Vanakkam’ by Ami Gupta | Seeking Patterns by Aswatha (Anjali Ponni) | Upasana Asrani

Chennai has always been known as a destination for the performing arts — bharatanatyam and carnatic classical music to be more specific. Think Madras and the first thing that comes to mind is margazhi maadham, sabha culture, kanjivaram saris, pattu veshtis and that wonderful smell of jasmine intermingling with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sandal incense sticks. But all that is changing. Over the last decade Chennai is fast becoming a destination for arts of other kinds. From festivals that celebrate the city’s theatre scene (Short+Sweet South India Theatre Festival); and festivals that celebrate the city’s rich photographic talent (Chennai Photo Biennale); to kite festivals, surf festivals, food festivals and contemporary dance festivals galore — the new Chennai is finally here and how!

The latest festival to join this long list is Madras Art Weekend (MAW) — an initiative of The International Foundation for the Arts (IAF) that debuts this weekend. Helmed by city-based art curator and enthusiast Upasana Asrani, the festival, delves deep into an otherwise unexplored love for art and photography that is synonymous with namma Chennai. We are, after all, home to one of the most famous artist villages in India (Cholamandal Artists’ Village)!

Sensorial dialogue
Taking forward this rich legacy, Upasana, an artist herself, felt the need to start an exclusive art festival that will bring together art lovers, art enthusiasts, art experts and artists. “I have travelled the world and have always been inspired by the different art festivals across the world. I knew Chennai had the potential to have a festival of its own and so the team at The International Foundation for the Arts got together and worked on a concept that we managed to bring into fruition only this year,” begins Upasana, who is also the founder of The International Foundation for the Arts.

Madras Art Weekend hopes to be collaborative event that is aimed at bringing together the entire art fraternity in the city on a single platform. The festival aims at exploring the vast potential of emerging and established artists — individuals or represented by the various galleries and organisations — reinventing the narrative and bringing forth a fresh energy into the art scene across the city and South India, in general. “The focus of MAW is to create a synergy, dialogue, interaction and a platform that is relevant, experiential and sensorial. From art talks by prominent artists taking about their practices; and galleries engaging with art enthusiasts — the endeavour is to bring together an entire community of art and design enthusiasts in order to broaden the reach and relevance of contemporary art within and beyond the city,” adds Upasana.

Upasana Asrani
Upasana Asrani
‘The Gaze’ by Ami Gupta
‘The Gaze’ by Ami Gupta
‘Luminous’ by Narayan Lakshman
‘Luminous’ by Narayan Lakshman
‘I surrender to you, my dear’ by Vijayalakshmi Veerappan
‘I surrender to you, my dear’ by Vijayalakshmi Veerappan
‘The GATEWAYS series’ by Amar Ramesh
‘The GATEWAYS series’ by Amar Ramesh

Water wonderful world
Madras Art Weekend will open today with a group show titled Perspectives, curated by Prabhu Viswanathan and Upasana Asrani, at Gallery Veda — showcasing the works of 15 emerging and established Tamil Nadu-based artists — including Aswatha (Anjali Ponni), Melanie Bass, Amar Ramesh, Narayan Lakshman, Suresh Kumar, Vinayak Shankar, Ami Gupta, Parvathi Nayar, Yuvaraj Velu, Madhavy Raj and Ramya Reddy, among others. This collection of artworks will be on display till November 20.

“My two paintings are an ensemble piece called Hide and Seek. They feature a beautiful Indian girl engaged in a game of hide and seek with the viewer of the painting,” shares artist Melanie Bass describing her artwork. Artist Parvathi Nayar chimes in, “My work is themed around water, in its multiple aspects. This is at the core of my art and is the focus of the works I’ve chosen to showcase at Madras Art Weekend.” Artist Madhavy Raj also tells us, “my current oeuvre explorations in the world of flora — which I will be exhibiting — consists of watercolours and gouache and is a study in light and shade, tonality and contrast. I am very moved by the stillness and resilience found in nature and that finds a way into my works.”

With a strong representation of female artists, Madras Art Weekend has deliberately chosen to draw attention to works by women. “I have always been in awe of the work by female artists and one of biggest inspirations is artist Rekha Rodwittiya. I am also constantly guided by my guru and mentor Mata Amritanandamayi and I guess she is the driving energy force behind this festival. It’s therefore pretty obvious why I chose to represent my tribe — inspirational women from the world of art and photography,” enthuses Upasana.

Day 1 will also see Kaivalya — a solo exhibit by artist Shyam Karri at Venba Gallery and a panel discussion on The Intersection of Art and the World of Design. The panel includes celebrity interior designer Vinita Chaitanya, multidisciplinary artist Ayushman Mitra and design curator and content strategist, Kamna Mallik. “The conversation will explore the role of art in interior design, how art is not just limited to paintings or artworks and how it is a lot more than that. In the recent years, art has seen tremendous growth in India. People are increasingly investing in good art and are more open to exploring different forms, artists and genres. The art world is in a very interesting time and the talk will explore its relationship with regard to homes and living spaces,” shares Kamna.

Melanie Bass
Melanie Bass
Parvathi Nayar
Parvathi Nayar
Madhavy Raj
Madhavy Raj
Kamna Mallik
Kamna Mallik

Poetry in glass
Day 2 will see the action shift to The Folly at Amethyst, where MAW presents the acclaimed creations of BOBO Calcutta showcasing the works of Ayushman Mitra and Jeet Shahi. The excitement will then shift to Ashvita Art Gallery in Mylapore with a critical discussion — A Look at How Galleries Program and Curate — featuring galleryists and art experts. “Ashvita has continuously strived to create an accessible platform for art and collectibles and this panel discussion is meant to educate the common man about how art is judged and curated and help them understand why art is an integral part and parcel of our lives,” explains Ashvin E Rajagopalan, curator at the gallery.

Day 3 will see the focus shift to Inko Centre, Adyar; for Tempered - Poetry in Glass: a group exhibition by Indian glass artists. There will also be curated events at Kadambari Gallery, DakshinaChitra and Taj Club House, Club House Road. Look forward to two panels — Celebrating Gender Affinities — Let No One Mistake us for the Fruit of Violence featuring artists Tsohil Bhatia, Anurag Minus Verma, Ashfika Rahman, Sandeep Kuriakose, Renuka Rajiv and Javed Sultan; and a panel discussion examining The Relationship and Collaborative Potential of Private Collectors and Public Community Art and the crucial role of each to achieve a Nation’s Vision.

“The idea is to bring art experts, art enthusiasts, art lovers and artists all onto the same platform and to encourage them to have open conversations where they can learn from each other and share ideas and synergy; and we hope this festival manages to accomplish that in some way,” concludes Upasana.

On November 11, 12 and 13. At multiple venues across the city.

romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal

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