Travelling miniature postage stamp collection exhibit 'Thook Laganaa Manaa Hai' comes to Bengaluru

Gone are the days when collecting stamps used to be one of the coolest hobbies among youngsters. Spending hours with tweezers and showing off your album to every visitor in the house was a common norm. However, with the art of letter-writing becoming obsolete, the relevance of stamp collection also seems to be ebbing away.

“Once storyboards of their time, old stamps later transform into historical treasures. Collecting them is an endeavour to harmoniously blend art, history and philosophy,” says artist Amita Shenoy, who is also co-founder of the Shenoy Art Foundation, which is presenting the miniature postage stamp collection exhibition titled Thook Laganaa Manaa Hai, collaborating with Arka Art Trust, in Bengaluru this week.

What drew our attention first to the exhibition was its catchy title. A popular Hindi idiom, Thook Laganaa Manaa Hai translates loosely into ‘Spitting is prohibited.’ It also has a deeper, not-so-literal, essential meaning though. Visual artist and curator Nilesh Kinkale explains the meaning, also telling us why the exhibition is named such, “Humans experience through senses, one of which resides in the mouth. So, when we want to stick something, instinctively, we brush it with spittle. A substantial precedent is the affixing of stamps on postcards with saliva. A mark of self, sent to the recipient miles away.”

He added, “Screens have now proclaimed ‘Thook Laganaa Manaa Hai,’ though. This Hindi idiom means that people are outsmarting through deception, to beat and deceit the living competition. Today, it is a constant in politics, education and art to hoax others via vague reality. To further its tendency, it remains committed to the surface and prevents us from exploring the true depths of someone or something. What could be done to halt this corruption and experience morality? The concept of ‘Licking/Tricking not allowed’ was brought up by the Nippon Gallery and Arka Art Trust to ponder over this.”

Curated by Nilesh Kinkale and hosted by Amita, the exhibition features masterpieces — all postage artwork of 3 X 2.5 inch — by over 200 artists from around the world. The travelling show was earlier displayed at Nippon Art Gallery in Mumbai. However, there is a significant way in which this edition differs from its Mumbai counterpart. “An additional 50 artists have been incorporated into the Bengaluru edition of the exhibition. This is just the beginning of the show’s journey, which is set to grow and evolve as it travels to different cities,” Amita tells us.

The show features some of the industry’s most prominent names. A unique aspect of this show is that you can view the works of a large number of artists because of the small format of the works. It features works by Jogen Chowdhury, Ratnadeep Adivrekar, Riyas Komu, SG Vasudev and Vanita Gupta, among others.

In terms of commonality in their work, size is the only attribute to be considered. “The stamps showcased in the exhibition share a common aspect with the artwork in their size. However, the artists enjoyed complete creative freedom, which allowed them to express their unique ideas and concepts as they saw fit. The exhibition features works of artists who have harnessed a variety of mediums to convey a diverse range of ideas, resulting in an exceptionally distinctive show,” Amita explains.

How time-intensive the process of putting together such an exhibition must have been, we wonder. Amita tells us that the exhibition required eight months of meticulous preparation, as it involved explaining the concept and sending the stamp-sized canvases to the respective artists and subsequently receiving them back.

However, the process has been rewarding for Amita. She enthusiastically tells us, “As a curator and art connoisseur, my experience at the exhibition opening at Nippon Art Gallery in Mumbai was nothing short of captivating. The concept crafted by Nilesh Kinkale was truly brilliant. It left an indelible impression on me, compelling me to bring this exhibition to Bengaluru and share this unique artistic experience with our city’s art enthusiasts.”

And what does this exhibition want its visitors to take away? “We hope viewers appreciate the diversity and ingenuity of art in various forms. The stamps, despite their common size, symbolise the unlimited creative potential that each artist harnesses. Our wish is that visitors leave with an understanding of the possibilities within the world of art and a deeper appreciation for the creativity of artists from around the world,” says Amita, signing off.

Entry free. Till November 2. At Shenoy Design Studio, Vijayanagar.

Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @MallikPrattusa