Author: Artion

New art spaces in Kolkata are redefining traditional galleries by creating immersive experiences, with unique architectures and evolving curatorial practices. Venues like Experimenter and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity prioritize adaptive designs and artist-driven spaces, fostering deep engagement between the artwork and viewers.Kolkata has been witnessing a rise in new art spaces over the past few years — spaces that have broken the conventional mould of the “white cube” and embraced something far more immersive. Think walls that change colour with every exhibition, galleries housed in centuries-old mansions, and viewing experiences that are as much about the space as the…

What makes a great art collection? Is it the name on the canvas, the money, or something more personal? At The Times of India’s Art of India fourth edition at NCPA on Sunday, art collector and auctioneer Mallika Sagar and gallerist Dadiba Pundole unpacked these questions in a no-nonsense masterclass spanning market trends and valuations to passion and intuition for aspiring art collectors.Sagar’s mantra was to purchase works that they like and enjoy. “We can give you the scientific part but collecting is not a science, it’s a passion,” said Sagar, whose advice to aspiring collectors was simple. “What you…

Left: In Expectation (1930s), attributed to Hemendranath Mazumdar in the exhibition Painting Freedom at Soas. Right: a very similar work by Mazumdar, in the collection of the artist’s family.The withdrawal of four lots from a Christie’s sale in New York earlier this year has renewed scrutiny on a recent exhibition in London to which they were loaned. The four works—listed on the auction house’s website as by Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, and the Early Bengal School—were shown in Painting Freedom: Indian Modernism and its Rebels (11 April-22 June) at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas). A Christie’s spokesperson…

Poongodi Mathiarasu | Photo Credit: Anbin KodiIt is the liberty puppetry offers that drew Poongodi Mathiarasu to the art form. “Anything can become puppetry,” says the 25-year-old, who is from Tiruppur. The art from is not limited to physical movement. “Anyone, including people who are differently-abled, can try it,” he says, adding: “It can be used to tell stories to people across ages.”Mathiarasu is trained in eight forms of puppetry, and is all set to train parents and teachers at an upcoming workshop in the city.Source: THE HINDU 

Brass, terracotta, banana fiber are materials that shape the everyday fabric of India. We see them in temple bells, roadside chai cups, woven charpoys resting in the afternoon sun. They’re familiar, almost invisible in their ubiquity. But what if these materials weren’t just functional relics of tradition? What if they morphed into something surreal, something sculptural — objects that feel like they’ve slipped through the cracks of time, and changed their constitution to fit an imagined future? This is the dreamlike world of Continuum, Gunjan Gupta’s latest collection, where heritage materials transcend their expected forms and become artifacts of a new…

Bengaluru is gearing up to host the third edition of the Mahindra Percussion Festival next month. To be held at the Prestige Centre of Performing Arts, this year’s festival in association with The Hindu, is a tribute to tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.As with every edition of this festival, this year too will see some world-class names such as Trilok Gurtu, Ravi Chary and others performing over two days. According to Jay Shah, vice president – Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, the purpose of such a festival is to place percussionists in the limelight.vice president – Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, the purpose…

Ratnamani Venisetty (left) shows the Harry Potter rug done at Artgram; The first participants of a tufting session at Lyzure Art Therapy Cafe | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.After a hectic workweek, Hyderabad-based chartered accountants Deepika Mamidala and Sneha Mupparthi unwind with a rug tufting session at Artgram, a cosy art studio. Deepika, an art enthusiast, sees it as the perfect way to relax while spending time with friends. “It’s so rewarding to create something with your own hands. Sure, you can buy a carpet or rug, but making one yourself is a completely different experience,” she shares. Deepika Mamidala and…

NETANYA (ISRAEL): Amid government efforts to make India a global film production hub, and in the build up to WAVES 2025, an Indian film festival kicked off here with the screening of filmmaker Kiran Rao’s acclaimed feature “Laapataa Ladies”. Kerala Health, Women & Child Development Minister Veena George, who inaugurated the festival, presented the prestigious Nishagandhi Puraskaram to leading Kathak exponent Pandit Rajendra Gangani on the occasion, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indian classical dance at a ceremony.Kerala Health, Women & Child Development Minister Veena George, who inaugurated the festival, presented the prestigious Nishagandhi Puraskaram to leading Kathak…

NETANYA (ISRAEL): Amid government efforts to make India a global film production hub, and in the build up to WAVES 2025, an Indian film festival kicked off here with the screening of filmmaker Kiran Rao’s acclaimed feature “Laapataa Ladies”.”Dangal”, “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, “Mimi”, “English Vinglish” and “777 Charlie” are the other five movies to be screened in the film festival, which will run till March 8.The lineup showcases India’s diversity, rich traditional heritage, contemporary challenges and its creative genius. Source: Press Trust of India

Ravees with his oil paintings displayed at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTRavees’s oil paintings celebrate the beauty of being simple and lucid. The exhibition, Beauty is Truth, currently on in Thiruvananthapuram, is the first solo show of the artist, who prefers to call himself Kuzhithurai Ravees after his place of birth in Kanyakumari district. A self-taught artist, he has participated in over 25 group exhibitions.It is the attention to detail that brings out the magic in each of the 22 paintings on display. “My paintings are based on photographs, thousands of them I have come across at…