The big Telangana art show

Hyderabad: The State Art Gallery is being prepared for a massive art show involving over 100 artists, as part of the official initiation of the Telangana Artists’ Forum. The Forum aims to do a lot more than just this “celebration”. “The show is just an initiation. In fact, we had to put it together so quickly that we don’t even have a subject, beyond the fact that it will be art native to Telangana,” says artist Ramana Reddy, who has been an active part of the movement via art.

“The forum will hold a lot of workshops and symposiums in the near future. We will also be approaching the government to build an art centre of international standards, where artists can come together and work,” adds the artist who has, in the past, held camps and workshops to nurture art that reflected the larger movement for a new state and identity. His art work also took off with the campaign and were used in pamphlets, posters and other material.

The initiation art show is being called Kotha Panduga, which is a harvest festival in Telangana celebrated within families. “So this is like a family of artists coming together to celebrate,” adds Reddy.

Like any other “family”, this one too plans to have each other’s back. Most artists’ collectives, like the one in Mumbai and even the organisation of Kochi Biennel, often work as units that promote each other and even stand up for each other. The same will be the case with the Telangana Art Forum.

“The idea is to start promoting younger artists, especially those from smaller regions who are often deprived of these opportunities. The Forum will try to unite the artists, and seniors are also coming forward in a show of support,” says Fawad Tamkanat, who will be part of the show at the State Art Gallery.

The artists, however, are very clear that there are no separatist or regionalist sentiments attached to this. “We are not restricting the activities to just the Telangana region. It’s just that the first show is on the theme of Telangana and it’s a celebration of that. In future, the forum will support everyone irrespective of regions,” says Ramana Reddy.

Another senior, Chippa Sudhakar, is also very clear. “There is no such feeling of Andhra and Telangana. I am an artist and I believe that regionalism should not sink into art,” he says.