The objectives of the India Harmony Foundation are to bring together people of all communities on a single platform to celebrate India’s multicultural heritage “Culture is the greatest tool to build bridges between communities”,  Says Zafar Saifullah, Founder President of the Foundation and former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India.

This collection of artworks displayed at the show symbolizes the multiethnic origins some of India’s greatest contemporary artists. It is not without significance that the fifty odd works on display,  quite apart from their outstanding calibre and gripping message, they are works of artists who belong to a group who have brought international acclaim to Indian contemporary art and put India firmly on the international stage in this very elite segment of global culture. It is also noteworthy that the artists whose works are on display represent our diverse social fabric without discrimination of caste or creed. Thus, there are in this collection today the works of free India’s most influential artists such as A.H. Raza, Souza, Krishen Khanna, Jamini Roy, Ram Kumar etc., It is a tribute to India’s art loving public and talented art critics who have, over the years, ensured that art holds no discrimination. Indeed it is the people of India, who are responsible for the eminence that these great names enjoy today.

The Art Show was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture, who has brought considerable energy and dynamism to the cultural sector. Her youthful enthusiasm has energized the art museums, heritage museums, archaeological conservations and related fields.

artraaga@gmail.com

The Dhaka Art Summit took place from 12-15 April 2012 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was the first large scale initiative to showcase artists in Bangladesh and was organized and supported by the Samdani Art Foundation. The Dhaka Art Summit included major curated exhibitions including a general exhibition at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy showcasing art practices across mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, installation, and performance art; over 249 artists were showcased from across Bangladesh (shortlisted by the Dhaka Art Summit Selection Committee) including emerging artists as well as internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi artists such as Zainul Abedin, Shahabuddin Ahmed, Naeem Mohaiemen, Mahbubur Rahman, Tayeba Begum Lipi, and more. As part of Dhaka Art Summit the Bangladesh National Museum held an exhibition of Bangladeshi Modern Masters, and the highly regarded independent artist space Britto Arts Trust curated an exhibition of contemporary Bangladeshi art. Dhaka Art Summit also included several other exhibitions around the city, and private receptions for collectors.

The Dhaka Art Summit introduced the Samdani Artist Development Award and the Samdani Young Talent Award. The winners were selected by an international jury panel which included Deepak Ananth, Professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts Paris, Elaine W Ng, Editor & Publisher of Art Asia Pacific, Kyla McDonald, Asst. Curator of International Art at Tate Modern Museum, Ravinder Reddy, renowned Indian Artist, Bose Krishnamachari, founder of Kochi Biennale and Shahabuddin Ahmed, one of Bangladesh’s leading artists. Khaled Hasan was the winner of the Samdani Artist Development Award (The prize money given for the award was BDT 1 million which is equivalent to Rs. 6 Lakhs) and Musrat Reazi was the winner of the Samdani Young Talent Award (The prize money given for the award was BDT 0.5 Millionwhich is equivalent to Rs. 3 Lakhs). Nadia Samdani, Founder and Director of the Dhaka Art Summit and Trustee of the Samdani Art Foundation said, ”The Dhaka Art Summit is a new beginning for cultural dialogues between Bangladesh and the rest of the world. There are diverse art practices being seen in the country and many younger and emerging artists are producing more informed, cutting edge work in a range of mediums including Video, Sound, Installations, Digital Art, Photography and Performance Art . We have received a great response this year from the art community and the general public, and Dhaka Art Summit is set to be a bi-annual event in Bangladesh. We will also be supporting other South Asian art initiatives later this year, and in early 2013 through the Samdani Art Foundation”

The programme of talks was attended by over 500 people and speakers included Dr. Amin Jaffer, International Director of Asian Art at Christie’s, Deepak Ananth, Professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, Dr. Deepanjana Klein, Specialist in the Modern Contemporary South Asian Art Department at Christies, Elaine W. Ng, Editor & Publisher of Art Asia Pacific, Fabio Rossi, Director of Rossi & Rossi Gallery, Kyla McDonald, Asst. Curator of International Art at Tate Modern Museum, Prateek Raja, Founder and director of Experimenter Gallery, Rashid Rana, renowned contemporary artist, Dr. Shahidul Alam, Founder of Drik and photographer, Tayeba Begum Lipi, artist and Founder- Trustees of Britto Arts Trust,  Yamini Mehta, Specialist and Head of Modern and Contemporary Indian Art at Christie’s. Prateek Raja, Founder and Director of Experimenter Gallery in Kolkata said, “The Dhaka Art Summit was a refreshing change to the regular art fairs or biennales or survey shows…it was a crossover between all these kinds of formats. Despite the lack of infrastructural support, mounting an event of this scale was truly momentous for the Bangladeshi scene”

Kyla McDonald, Assistant Curator of International Art at Tate Modern said, “As a starting point the Dhaka Art Summit has made great head-way in opening up Bangladesh’s art scene to a wider international audience. The passion and commitment shown by Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani and their team will enable the summit to evolve and grow over the coming years. Many of the artist’s are still young in their development and understanding of a wider international art scene but this summit has given them a platform for further development and engagement with a wider audience.”

artraaga@gmail.com

Time and again Ravi Mandlik has emphasized the influence that nature had on his life right since his childhood days. He has always affirmed that there is constantly something new being created in nature, it can be extension of the previous one or a complete emergence of something that you ever wondered of. Mandlik says that, “I enjoy my creative journey because I believe being alive is nothing but a creative process in itself. Each step of my creative process is like a new breath, it infuses a lot of vitality. Nature always is full of creative processes trying to stir my soul and inspire the life in me.”

His mesmerizing artworks clearly display the artists’ talent. He further adds that, “Whenever I paint I expect the same life in my creation. As I discovered life within me is nothing but my work I started dedicating all my time to this creative journey.” One can see how he has managed to capture the magnificence of creating something new and has constantly nurtured and even managed to expand it.  In his works, he has embedded his own symbolic of the dynamism and love that nature abounds in. It is surely hard for one to be oblivious to his obvious creations and the message that seems to be floating all around, in the air that we breathe, the expanse that we manifest ourselves; it is truly all encompassing and ethereal in every sense.

In relation to what inspired him to create a collection that bows down and personifies nature, Mandlik says that, “I was enthralled by the wide expanse of this piece of earth called Ladakh and was greatly inspired by its vitality and energy. The beauty of Andmans engulfed my heart. The shimmering waters of the Deep Ocean and colourful corals in contrast to the white sandy beaches simply cannot fade away from my memory. The dense virgin forest exudes life in its most pure form. The green patches around Shimoga, Karnataka, teeming with the beautiful bamboo, areca palms, and many other species have lifted my spirits instantly. This geographical diversity offers an incredible experience of life. I have tried to bring on this invisible vitality in my work and share my experience as honestly as I can.”

His collection enables one to realize that mankind has always been intrigued by nature. The human race has been carrying out the scientific investigations and the progress in technology is the by-product of this process. The more we try to unveil the mystery and penetrate to explore the mystical energy of nature we realize how deep it is and how infinite is the whole process. His paintings further enables one to conclude that nothing perishes in nature but it just takes another form, it yearns to be a new creation and for so to happen there is some hidden power in nature, energy so vital for every creation. Ravi Mandlik’s “Burgeon,” is a humble attempt to explore this energy.

artraaga@gmail.com

Christie’s has announced the appointment of Jinqing Caroline Cai as Managing Director, China. She will join from 1 June.  In this new role Ms. Cai will lead Christie’s activities in China. Steven P. Murphy, Christie’s CEO, remarked: “The importance of China culturally and economically is profound. We are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the clients and cultural activities in this region with the creation of this new role and by welcoming such a highly respected leader as Jinqing Cai as our new Managing Director, China.  She brings stellar achievements on behalf of countless multinational brands in China, with a depth of expertise in public affairs and corporate relations. Her global outlook will be a great asset to us and we look forward to welcoming her to our team in the region and internationally.”

François Curiel, President, Christie’s Asia, remarked: ”A key priority has been to strengthen Christie’s China presence and familiarize Chinese collectors with the broad spectrum of our services, making it easy for them to transact with us. A crucial element in this ambitious vision for the region was the appointment of an experienced professional to lead our efforts and I look forward to working closely with Jinqing Cai to develop our activities in China. She will also be of great help in further elevating China’s art and culture in the global marketplace”.

Ms. Cai added: “It is a great privilege to take on this role at Christie’s, a premium cultural brand associated with arts, heritage, integrity and creativity. I hope to bring Christie’s wealth of knowledge and expertise to China’s burgeoning art market, while showcasing China’s extraordinary art to the world through Christie’s extensive global presence. ”

Images- Christe

artraaga@gmail.com

India opens its arms to present a unique exhibition of art and photography by SEN children at Lodi – The Garden Restaurant   Freesia (Organization for Creative studies and Development), the brainchild of Roma Sahni (Founder Director), organized its Annual Exhibition of art and photography by the SEN children at Lodi – The Garden Restaurant. As firm believers of the cause, Honorable Shri Kapil Sibal (Minister of HRD) inaugurated the exhibition sharing his views on it and Honorable Shri Mukul Wasnik (Miniter of Social Justice and Empowerment) made the key note address.

Freesia is an NGO working towards making children with special needs self contingent. It is striving to help them live a life full of pride. Since functional academics are the limit of achievement for SEN children, the NGO headed by Ex-Chief Justice of India, Justice Shri GB Patnaik, believes in encouraging their creative side. Freesia in its attempt to make a difference by supporting an educational system in the creative sector is targeting self-sustaining employment as the objective. Offering a novel concept of education most aptly suited for the betterment of SEN children, with a view to curtailing the wide schism between the normal and the special, Freesia also hopes that patrons from every walk of life would widen their horizon and come forward to support the cause. Roma Sahni quoted Rachel Carson who has accurately said, ““If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companion of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” In Freesia, these special angels find that very companion.”

artraaga@gmail.com

In the present exhibition titled ‘Extra-Ordinary’, Hema Upadhyay explores the subtexts of these two disparate words – the ordinariness of an ‘extra’ life that the metropolis offers its citizens. Unlike the overall decorative patterning of her earlier work (often used as a visual camouflage) within which the body/city conversed, fluid design appears at the edges of these paintings, framed within frames of overlapping narratives. Fixated at the centre in sombre dark hues of polluted grey and sleazy black, the decaying city emerges out of a bordered beauty. The actual and fictive, imagined and remembered city are evoked through personal and social worlds of the artist; she frames the canvases with the Bombay skyline that are seen in picture postcards and advertising lingua and zooms with imaginary binoculars onto real issues of environmental degradation and the apathy that governs our existence. Plastic objects, toys, fruit-bowls, animals and vegetables lie half-submerged in black waters; flamingos feed on toxic marshes while the city planners shake hands on a land development deal, texts about urbanity sprout amidst imagined greenery whilst the artist’s dismembered hands try to hold the scattered imagery together. These texts are quotes from thinkers who have ruminated on modernity and development and the surface appearances of urban landscapes clash with its inner decay. Are the floating bodies living or dead, what are the markers of achievement in the money economy when human bodies pile on one another for space and breath?

The works are an amalgamation of painted surfaces and photographic cut-outs, shots of the Real City encounter imaginary worlds, the artifice of globalization creating a bizarre beauty that holds onto itself through delicate threads. The onslaught of metropolitan life and our struggles to preserve our subjectivities gives rise to an ontological insecurity; in the production of cities lies the hidden workings of desire and fear.Through the tropes of doubling and concealment Upadhyay beings together politics and poetics, urging us to understand the darkness of our lived moments, questioning the future of her city that lies threatened with the destruction of its own discovery. The exhibition is held at Vadehera Art Gallery, New Delhi.

artraaga@gmail.com

An iconic period for Indian Art, the collaboration of two distinct and prominent artists, this show, Eternal Landscapes, promises to etch in one’s memory for ‘Eternity.’ It is not every day that Abhishek Bachchan takes up a cause for art and inaugurates an art show. However, even a star of his calibre could not steal the limelight of the real star of the show, which were the picturesque paintings created by most artist. Abhishek too was enamoured by the works of the two artists and had a good look around the entire gallery with Owner of ICIA Gallery, Vikram Sethi.

Most people stoof mesmerized at the use of water colors in Paresh Maity’s work, along with the startling use of vibrant as well as subdued colors. His painting depict that he is one with the buoyancy, calm and life nurturing qualities of water. He confesses to be a romantic realist in love with plaintive things that have lasting quality and will live. Paresh says “I have tried not to be something I am not. No shock treatments, no political messages, my landscapes are not snapshots of nature’s randomness; they are meditations on nature’s harmonious perfection which I visualized in my mind’s eye and transferred to canvas.”

Ram Kumar’s paintings are inspired by the natural environment in its many manifestations, wilderness, mountains, ravines, crevices, rifts, fissures, gorges, canyons, hillsides, forests, deserts, fields and rivers. Ram Kumar modifies them to a point of making them unrecognizable. His works cover a wide spectrum of possibilities often based on emotional response to a natural setting rather than a specific depiction of a place. Ram Kumar was born and grew up in Simla. Although he resides in Delhi, he still lives in Simla at times. His fascination with nature continues to overwhelm him the painter paints from within taping into an imagery created in his mind that suggests the vastness of nature.

From Arti and Kailash Surendranath to Poonam Dhillion and Deveika Bhojwani, every individual present was awed by the masterpieces created by these two artistic geniuses. The show brings together two diverse landscape painters. Ram Kumar from the pre-independence generation, one of the pioneers of the modern art movement in India, and Paresh Maity from the post-independence generation, a young turk of the contemporary art movement in India. Eternal Landscapes presents the viewer with the opportunity to be led into a new invigorating experience of landscapes. The timeless elemental power of nature is expressed by these works the dialogue created between these works of varying scale eliminates the nature of our relationship with the environment and our human scale within it. Both painters express a faith in the spiritual benefits to be gained from the contemplation of nature’s bounty.

artraaga@gmail.com

The inaugural edition of the Dhaka Art Summit will take place from 12-15 April 2012 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  The Dhaka Art Summit is the first large scale public showcase of art in Bangladesh, and a pioneering public-private collaboration in the country. The summit is organized by the Samdani Art Foundation, a non-profit arts funding and development organization in collaboration with the Bangladesh National Museum, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (the national fine and performing arts school of Bangladesh), and sponsored by American Express. The Dhaka Art Summit was created as a platform for the development of artists in Bangladesh, and to create awareness about Bangladeshi art internationally. It offers galleries and independent artists without gallery representation in Bangladesh an opportunity to showcase their work, free of cost, to the general public and influential museums, curators, galleries, collectors and press from across the world.

The 4 day programme brings together the works of over 200 established and emerging artists from Bangladesh and includes several exhibitions, talks and seminars, and social events.  The Dhaka Art Summit will include 3 major public exhibitions curated by Bangladeshi artists and curators of international repute including the Britto Arts Trust, the independent artists’ group which also organized Bangladesh’s first national pavilion at the 53rd Venice Art Biennale in 2009. Under the purview of the Dhaka Art Summit, a vibrant programme of events and exhibitions showcasing a diverse breadth of art practices including painting, sculpture, installation, new media and performance art, will open in galleries and art spaces around the city. For more information please visit www.dhakaartsummit.org

Nadia Samdani (Founder and Director, Dhaka Art Summit and Trustee, Samdani Art Foundation) said “in keeping with the foundation’s long term commitment to developing infrastructure for art in Bangladesh, the Dhaka Art Summit is focused on increasing public awareness about art within Bangladesh; it is also an initiative to increase dialogue between art communities in the region, and access to South Asian art internationally”. Later in the year, and following the Dhaka Art Summit, the Samdani Art Foundation will take an exhibition of South Asian art to New Delhi and London.

artraaga@gmail.com

Vibrations-2012 by Anju Kumar, was a work which greatly deals with the woman. She works from her home studio- AYAAN & ANMOL and her vibrant art transcends the boundaries of the canvas. It is a lifestyle of freewill and imaginative bliss that allows the spirit to roam in a world of happiness and relaxation. It is a world of dreams as reality has no boundaries at this breathtaking gala of abstract and modern art. For her nature is ecstasy and the eternal world of real happiness.

artraaga@gmail.com