Artists attack the culture of art vandalism via installations at Kala Ghoda

The iconic Kala Ghoda 2023 is a raging delight amongst art lovers with its diverse itinerary spanning theatre cinema dance music literature food and much more Returning after a twoyear hiatus due to the pandemic artists present a fresh wave of a renewed and engaging lineup for their patronsIndiarsquos largest multicultural extravaganza is now colouring the streets of South Mumbai with its artistic expression across 15 iconic venues across the precinct of Kala Ghoda in Mumbai from February 412Midday Online scoured the festival to interact with Arti Raj a professional artist art curator and the founder of Udayan Art Studio Her studio focuses on establishing art amongst the masses through art exhibitions workshops and talk sessions and by providing a platform for budding artistsArt in the time of PandemicIn a candid conversation Arti shares that KGAF23 is a shining ray of hope for the art industry ldquoMany industries suffered a huge blow in 2020 when the pandemic broke out Artists were the worst of the lot With no avenues to display our artwork and regale art enthusiasts we were sent indoors and our imaginations capped Now finally KGAF23 has returned after two long years to amp up our spirits and revitalise the arts communityrdquoldquoThis festival is a testament to establishing art as a medium to comment on the social cultural and environmental issues that plague our existence At Kala Ghoda we transform our ideas into a tangible form of art that is aimed at sensitising the masses over issues that people in authority choose to maintain a lull overrdquoOn the festivalrsquos theme Art ltgt ForwardElaborating on the visual art theme of this year Arti reveals the motto Art ltgt Forward which implies how one can move forward without forgetting the glory of our pastldquoThis is very relevant in the current scenario as the world evolves at a lightning pace owing to technological innovations The introduction of tech advancement acts as a doubleedged swordldquoOn the one hand they provide ease and automation in our daily lives while on the other they are damaging the environment with electronic waste and marring society with weakening ethics and values Hence the theme becomes a symbol of the juncture that we are in as the new world order evolves postpandemicArt in its contemporary sense has always reflected the social climate and its environs The curators of KGAF 2023 came up with the idea to showcase Art ltgt Forward in its futuristic avatar with a focus on movement and progressrdquoWatch Mumbaikars throng to south Mumbairsquos beloved art district on day 1 of the festivalOn navigating the screening as a teamArtirsquos team is a diverse one each with its own area of expertise ldquoFrom the stage of concept ideation to complete execution of the project each artist has contributed their best to the project ldquoArt Attackrdquo With our teamrsquos expertise in figurative art forms to abstract artwork innovative ideas for the usage of waste products in artwork and concept writing for digital work we have concocted the perfect team with complementing skills This truly helped us in the smooth execution of our project well within timeShe found the entire selection process to be very well organised transparent and properly communicated ldquoThe screening process started with a virtual meeting followed by online submission of our concept paper presenting our concept to the curators in person and then the final selection The entire process of selection took around 1520 daysrdquoMentation behind the installation art ldquoArt AttackrdquoldquoOur thought process was spurred by the growing concerns shared by artists and society at increasing acts of art vandalism in various parts of the world To highlight some recent incidents in European countries we saw the vandalism of Monalisa Girl with The Pearl Earring Sunflowers by Van Gogh The Last Supper Haystacks by Monet etcAlthough the protestors say that they believe in nonviolent protest to force people to quit the production of fossil fuels the attempted vandalism is in fact an act of violence against the culture of art We also wanted to share a deep concern over other forms of art vandalism that happen across India in places of historic and cultural importance where we see people writing defacing painting and spitting that really destroys not just a piece of art but the very culture of artThe art installation by Udayan Art Studio and the associated artists wanted to focus on this misguided culture of art vandalism We believe that art is a vehicle for change and progress while remembering and learning from our past and traditional art forms This also resonates with the theme for Kala Ghoda Art Festival Past Forward and Art Forward It is because of this resonance that we believe it is necessary to talk about the culture of art vandalism in all contexts and hence that is what the installation focuses onrdquoTop row Aishwarya Parab and Spandan Nath Bottom row Satinath Das and Anjali Nair Right column Arti RajYou can indulge in her teamrsquos installation art called ldquoArt Attackrdquo at Cross Maidan near the Fort area The installation art has been crafted by a team of 5 Anjali Nair Aishwarya Parab Spandan Nath Satinath Das and herselfRead More As Kala Ghoda Arts Festival returns to Mumbai here is a curated list of unmissable events