Bengaluru welcomes the fourth edition of the art exhibition, The Earth Matters

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram — written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on November 7, 1875 — IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts), Bangalore Regional Centre has unveiled a special event — the fourth edition of their art exhibition titled The Earth Matters. “The main theme was the 150 years of Vande Mataram and under that banner, the establishment requested me to curate a show and I curated it in three parts,” shares curator Jyoti C Singh Deo.

Unlike previous editions, this one was structured in three distinct parts — an art exhibition, a seminar and an evening performance — making it a more holistic cultural event rather than just a visual art show. The grand inauguration took place on March 1 with speakers Yamini Telkar, Ramesh Chandra and D Mahendra speaking at the seminar.

The same day, Vasanta Sourabha, an evening of performances was graced by artistes such as Smitha Cariappa, Paramesh Jolad and Jeetin Rangher. However, the art exhibition will continue to be on display till the end of this month. “The exhibition features 23 artists (including the curator herself) displaying 45 works in total — roughly two pieces per artist. All artists were handpicked, with most being from Karnataka or based in Bengaluru as they are projected to be the next big things in art,” she reveals.

The unifying theme of the show is works dedicated to the earth or art centred on human figures carrying an undercurrent of our relationship with nature. “All these artists have their own identity. Somehow, all their work just fell into the category dedicated to the earth — even if it was a human being, somehow theyshow how the earth matters,” she elucidates.

From Woodcut prints focused on insects to paintings made using acrylic and water colours and a Tree of Life sculpture using clay and coal — the event showcases a vivid variety of artworks. The artist line-up includes V Hariraam, Satish Multhali, Hemant Kumar, S Kodemani, Bharati Sagar, Ashok Nellogi, Sharmila Aravind, Manjunath HP and Gangadhar Bandanavar among others.

Entry free. On till March 31, 9 am to 5 pm. At Mallathahalli.

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