Thomas Merton once said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Perhaps it is this very quality of art that makes it endearing and insightful. And to understand this for yourself, head to The Whitefield Art Collective (WAC) at VR Bengaluru. WAC is part of a successful roster of pan-Indian, award-winning art shows that are supported by Virtuous Retail as part of its connecting communities program. The fourth edition that has just launched saw the unveiling of The VR Art Car 2019, a work by artist M. Senathipati, President of Cholamandal Artists’ Village and a fireside chat with T.V Santosh at The Living Room, The Waverly Hotel and Residencies on the topic “The Role of Art in Connecting Communities”. M. Senathipathi, President, Cholamandal Artist’s Village said, “I have portrayed Krishna and Gopies on the VR Art Car. The Mahabharata and Ramayana are interpreted as aspects of human behaviour, in my own language. It’s been an honour to have the opportunity to paint the VR Art Car 2019. This project not only has allowed me to express my vision on an unconventional medium but also has given me the platform to showcase my work across the country with Madras Art Guild (Chennai), Whitefield Art Collective (Bangalore), Punjab Art Initiative (Chandigarh Capital Region) and Dumas Art Project (Surat). The subject of the art, the Indian epics urges the viewers to take a moment to absorb the essence this work and contemplate life and its meaning.”
VR Bengaluru will transform once more into one massive gallery space, with over 100 artworks, from installations to fine art, all curated through partnerships with leading institutions and eminent artists. Adding a more contemporary twist is the ‘art pop up’, which will showcase niche designers and artists who can have their works up for sale.
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Chitrakala Parishad, Cholamandal Artists’ Village in Chennai, Government College of Fine Art in Puducherry, Kumbakonam and Chennai are among the collaborators this year. Sculptor Kalya S. Rathore says, “The key to chaos is order. The answer to harnessing this order lies in nature, where nature chooses geometry as a guiding template to render herself. Through this series, I seek to find the common elements in every form, from an atom to the Universe, contained in the flora and fauna in the midst of what seems to be waywardness.”
The WAC is a month-long program that goes on till March 21st and will also have art pop ups, a children’s art competition, a Bangalore in Focus online photography contest along with art cinema at Skydeck, featuring “Pollock”, a movie on the life of the artist Jackson Pollock. Curator Sumi Gupta says with its reputation having grown over the years, WAC is a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent in a space that will draw in lakhs of viewers. “WAC is doing the Basement Art Project once more and the basement walls will be splash of colour,” Gupta says.
When: 21st Feb 2019 to 21st Mar 2019
Where: VR Bengaluru
Entry: Free except for Art Cinema which is ticketed at Rs 150 and
available on BookMyShow
