Despite the limitations created by the pandemic, this year’s art exhibitions at HLF accomplished to bring different schools of the country together and are all set to be some of the best we see this year
This edition of the Hyderabad Literary Fest is incredibly special. While the 2021 edition is completely virtual and so are the art events of the fest, bringing together four different schools of art from across the country makes it unique. There are going to be four exhibitions curated by some of the best curators of the country.
Notes, Documents and Processes – Impressions from a School
Curated by Abeer Gupta and Shruti Mahajan
This exhibition deals with intertextuality in a way to understand how artworks alongside text. And, how visual art uses notes, preparatory documents as a mode of artistic expression. The exhibition also displays the ideas of collaboration, expression, and activism through time and explores the practice of the Baroda Art School. The Baroda School of Art is very well known for its modernist style and the narrative figurative style of art, it has a very distinctive approach to artistic ideas and tools.
Artist, curator from the Baroda School of Art Shruthi Mahajan says “What is different about this particular edition is that all the four schools never got to meet and work together before. And it is great to curate a show that brings together artists from different generations and time. And to bring different pedagogical practices together.’’ Shruti Mahajan had worked with Goethe Zentrum in the past as well on her solo exhibition ‘Seal’.She curates the show with Abeer Gupta, director, Krishnakriti Foundation.
Allegories and Voices: Contemporary Drawing as Thought
Curated by Tanmay Santra
This is going to be an exhibition that features about 60 drawings from 17 artists around the country. Parthapratim Deb, Ashok Bhowmik, Prabal C. Boral, Dilip Mitra, Salil Sahani, Mahula Ghosh, Santanu Mitra, Tanmay Santra, Tapasi Nath, Sabir Ali, Sumana Som, Goutam Pal, Girish Chandra Behera, Anirban Mishra, Vivekdas, Suhaima, as well as exciting drawings by lesser-known artist Bidyut Lata Santra.It aims to show drawing as a method of art and the nature of drawing through different factors.
The Pedagogical Clutch
Curated by Atiya Amjad
Atiya Amjad
The Pedagogical Clutch is an exhibition that shows the works of the present and the past students of Sarojini Naidu School of Art and Communication, Hyderabad. It also reveals the role of the school in nurturing and helping the students. The SN school has been a part of HLF in the previous editions as well. The school plays a major role in moulding of their students in techniques and processes. This exhibition is a tribute to the students and masters of the school alike.
Continuous Stream of Kalabhavan Santiniketan
The above exhibition is coordinated, curated, and presented by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose, Anand Ghose & Poosapati Parameshwar Raju through the art production of the Kala Bhavan, to understand the culture and the aesthetic of the Kala Bhavan art practice through time. This institution holds a distinguished place in the history of Indian art.
Koeli, Anand, Parameshwar Raju
Koeli Mukherjee Ghose shares, “I, Parameshwar ji and Anand have been working on a magnum opus exhibition showing more than a hundred artists, alumni, teachers, and students of Kalabhavan. The defining note is lyrical and spontaneous to add to the 100 years celebration and to create an archival database of artists who trained or have been teachers in Kala Bhavan. It has been a wonderful experience to use the most sophisticated online tool to create this show.’ She also talks about the kind of work they are presenting ‘Parameshwar ji has created a digital flipbook that is to be seen as a catalogue. Anand is working on a film to speak about this amazing show at the HLF 21.’
This festival is going to be different in many ways.
Koeli also shares that she is going to miss dressing up and catching up with her friends during the festival. ‘But I am looking forward to the online version of the festival and enjoy the events as a new experience,” she adds.
The entire idea of having the festival is to bring people, who share the same views together. D
