A.M (Art Multidisciplines) Studio near Bijoygarh was established in 2017 and has come up as a new age studio space for artists across multiple genres and forms, to communicate their thoughts at. Proprietor and curator of the space, Ayan Mukherjee’s first stint with visual art was through his father, who worked with various revered artists as a framer. His artistic conscience was further nurtured when he studied literature, which eventually made him choose multiple pathways of expression such as poetry and music. “Being able to connect to an artists’ mindspace, and getting a better understanding of their viewpoints through various art forms intrigued me a lot. I first started curating exhibitions back in 2011, way before A.M. (Art Multidisciplines) Studio was conceptualised. It wasn’t until 2014 however, I realised that I don’t just want to be involved in art curation as someone who communicates a body of work to the viewers, but someone who wants to be creatively involved in the process,” shares Ayan.
Ayan believes the studio space in itself that displays a body of work is a medium of expression, and ideally should be flexible enough to adapt to the thought process of a certain display. This is when he started reaching out to like minded artists who would help him create an aesthetic dialogue utilising his space, in numerous forms. “One thing that I realised while curating at other galleries is that not a lot of them had commercial viability even if they were critically acclaimed, which wasn’t exactly working in favour of the spaces monetarily. This is exactly when I started conceiving A.M (Art Multidisciplines) Studio as otherwise my way of expression was getting inhibited making it more manipulative than honest,” adds Ayan who also uses the medium of poetry to convey the essence of an exhibition being held at his space.
The art aficionado’s 300 sq. ft space at Bijoygarh isn’t just a gallery according to him, but an art space and a workshop that goes beyond the four walls of the room. He utilises the walls adjoining the studio, and the one right opposite to the space as a medium of artistic communication with passersby, who might not be otherwise interested in watching an exhibition. “This is where the dialogue is further being extended to direct and indirect interaction with strangers. They often stop and look at the sculptures and artworks being displayed outside the room,” shares Ayan. Ayan also wishes to bring in other forms of expression to this space.
After multiple successful shows at the space this year, Ayan recently wrapped the first episode of When did Bitch become a Bad Word in collaboration with Swiss artist Daniela Belinga Agossa and is looking forward to a second episode towards the first half of 2023. “The concept of this project is to delve deep into the origin of the word typically used to refer to a female dog, which has become one of the most used cuss words in modern times to derogate a woman,” concludes Ayan. Ayan is currently also working with Galleria 1000A in New Delhi as a curator.