Ongoing Art Exhibitions: now you can visit art galleries sitting at home!
Have you missed going to art galleries as much as us? Just the feeling of going out there, finding yourself in front of a painting admiring it's every stroke and form. With the pandemic, came it's many, many (although cautionary) limitations.
In an endeavor to feel something remotely close to that, the lovely art editors of The OC have come up with a list of virtual art exhibitions, curated just for you.
Written by OC art editors, Tanvi Dugar and Pranshu Thakore. Featured image is a painting by Indra Dugar ("Untitled", oil on canvas, 1959) via the DAG museum.
Kashti Kinara
The show was put together by post graduate students of the Museology course offered by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Since there is/was large cultivation of Teak trees, India traded and distributed Teak. It has been used as a boat-building material for over 2000 years (it was found in an archaeological dig in Berenice pancbrysos, a port on the Indian Roman trade route). This exhibition includes drawings and maps from 1666CE which gives an idea of how the marine routes were used from coasts of India as trading ports. Boats played an important role in the commerce between the Indus Valley Civilization and Mesopotamia. Evidence of varying models of boats has also been discovered at various Indus Valley archaeological sites. Uru craft originated in Beypore, a village in south Calicut, Kerala, in southwestern India. Briefly being informative it is more on the verge on calling it as an exhibition since it carries documentation of marine lifestlyle in Inida. This online exhibit highlights the virtuosity in terms of academia as part of the art world. https://poly.google.com/view/9Q9Ok74PUZv
Primitivism and modern Indian art
This collection displays the some of the art pieces commissioned to artists during Monarchy. It is a Pride that brings back precolonial, primitive art styles from the Motherland. KG Subramanyan, Ramkinkar Baij and many more artists that were in search of alternatives to primitive art and folk art in truly natural way to draw: one available without training, and one that is responsive to the richness of human subjective life: concepts, emotions, and spirituality, rather than a mere record of perceptions. Even when these qualities are re-framed as positives — as antidotes to modern ailments such as overcrowded cities, runaway technology, emotional and sexual repression, and the loss of spirituality and of connection with nature — the stereotypes of primitivism are still problematic. Framing other cultures as “primitive” ultimately suggests the need for external aid and guidance, and thus helps to justify Western colonial practices. Primitivism is a peculiar mixture of admiration and denigration, appreciation and exploitation, elevation and repression. They aimed to revive our culture roots before the colonial whitewash of it. The works more of reflect to tribal and folk art style with the genuine gesture of controlled brush marks with a sense of liberation. This brings in the very essence of our deep rooted culture of Indian aesthetic and visual arts. https://dagworld.com/exhibitions/primitivism-and-modern-indian-art/
Eternal Banaras
Here you may get a loose glimpse of Banaras through paintings and photographs of the ghats, devotees, and the people there. Expect these art pieces by over glorified artists and photographers. It includes most of the male artists who’ve already gained a name for themselves in the art world for their many privileges (male privilege, class, caste, social standing, connections). No doubt they do hold a major place in documentation and revealing the very beauty of Banaras which can only be captured by an artistic eye. https://dagworld.com/exhibitions/eternal-banaras/
Ghare Baire
Ghare baire meaning, “ The World, The Home and Beyond” in Bengali is the first comprehensive exhibition showcasing the art and artists of Bengal. Talking about the importance of this exhibition it does hold a major mark in the field of Fine-art History. Bengal school of art was an art movement and a style of Indian Painting that originated in Bengal, primarily in Kolkata and Shantiniketan since it was a major hub for artists, writers, poets in regards to Rabindranath Tagore’s school. It flourished throughout the Indian subcontinent during the British Raj in the early 20th century. This movement led to development of the morden Indian painting which can be seen in the works of Abanindranath Tagore and Nandlal Bose. The Bengal school arose as an Avant Garde and Nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles which was also influenced by ideas of the West. In this exhibition one can see wide range of skills from our early masters attempting to master the skill to move away from realistic works like those of Raja Ravi Verma till morden Indian painters like Jamini Roy. https://dagworld.com/exhibitions/ghare-bhare/
Drishya Kala
This exhibition is a real treasure as it includes incredible array of over 400 artworks from different time period of artistic movements from Colonial Landscapes to Modern art in India. It includes commissioned art works from the rulers, serene landscapes by Thomas & William Daniell, popular culture of 1960’s reflected by Gaganendranath Tagore, mark making skills of Raja Ravi Varma, and a step towards abstraction by Abanindranath Tagore. All that history of art can be seen and gained enough of visual knowledge via this exhibit. https://dagworld.com/exhibitions/drishyakala/