What is a museum, really? A building that houses objects? A temple of knowledge? A vault of the past? Or a theatre of the present? The answers are as complex as the institutionās foundational contradiction. Museums claim to preserve and protect, but they also curate and construct. The question of publicness is key. For most […]
Did you know that the city of Basel, Switzerland with a population of around 1,75,000 people has 37 museums? A similar city division in India, such as Bandra East, Mumbai has that many people. Upmarket Bandra however has no museums and the city, barely a handful. India has a slew of mega museums on the […]
Across the globe, storytelling is being reimagined. The lines defining who gets to create art and tell a compelling story are also blurring. Museums, especially, are figuring out how to better tell the stories of their land. In Australia, Melbourneās Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre sensitively portrays the history and traditions of the Aboriginal communities through […]
On the map, Kodakara is a small, nondescript town in Keralaās Thrissur district. At best, the famous Athirappilly waterfalls is located about 30 minutes from it. My interest, however, is piqued when I learn ā through lens-based artist and writer S. Hariharanās social media posts ā about the existence of two art museums in close […]
In an exceptional use of contrasts, an idyllic scene painted in shades of translucent blue, effortlessly lets the warm sun trickle in, as a man atop a bull gazes into the distance. He stands beside a towering, veiny tree. The deft use of shadows, and contrasting colour palettes, makes this watercolour work by R Govindaraj […]
Daily Quiz | On Leonardo da Vinci Ā āSalvator Mundiā, a work of Leonardo da Vinci which was sold at a Chistieās auction for a world record $450m in 2017 to a private collector START THE QUIZ 1 / 8 | Under which Florentine master artist did Leonardo do his apprenticeship? 2 / 8 | What […]
Parmod Mann with one of his sculptures. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT It takes courage, devotion, and an instinctive understanding of the human condition to carve vulnerability into black marble or paint evocative symbolism onto canvas. Parmod Mann does it with grace and his artworks haunt and heal at the same time. Inside Triveni Kala […]
Painting by Francis Newton Souza | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement As Passion Week looms near beginning April 12, one recalls Indiaās enfant terrible Francis Newton Souza, one of artist Krishen Khannaās greatest friends and founder of the Progressive Arts Group now known as India Moderns. Why does one remember Souza, and how does he connect […]
The name Chandamama may ring a bell for those who grew up in the ā60s and ā70s; the childrenās magazine opened up a vista of mythological tales, magical kingdoms and fantastical adventures peopled by characters everyone could relate to. With the entry of Amar Chitra Katha, Indrajal Comics, Tinkle and others, Chandamama lost the unique […]
There is nothing quite as intriguingly beautiful as a Persian carpet, feels Fannan Raza. The artist and interior designer has crafted over 25 pieces of these lovely āart in carpetsā, currently on display at Sublime Galleria. Apart from being strikingly eye-catching, these works of art come alive when one scans the QR code below the […]
