'Festival of Arts' to highlight cultural diversity

The 13th edition of IIC Experience 'Festival of Arts' will bring together dance, music, theatre, films, exhibitions and delectable cuisines with a major focus on Bengal.
The five-day-festival, set to begin tomorrow, will open with presentation of 'Chaturvidh': Four Dances in the Odishi Marga', choreographed by Oddisi dancer Sharmila Biswas.
Art exhibitions organised include 'Time Past and Time Present', which is on the history and contribution of the Asiatic Society. It includes archival photographs, digitised manuscripts, painting, books and journals.
"Every year we organise this festival to give voice to diversity, freedom, innovation, creativity, learning and entertainment. The festival planned as an annual feature of the IIC brings together the entire spectrum of these activities," said Air Marshal Naresh Verma, director of IIC.

'KG Subramanyan: An Aesthetic Journey' celebrates the life and work of the renowned artist with an exhibition of his original works in ink on paper, acrylic - reverse painting on acrylic sheet. The show will also witness artist's original writings and his books illustrated for children.
To pay tribute to artisans and craftspersons, a special show titled 'In the Language of Clay', will display terracotta objects and live demonstrations by craftspersons.

"Cuisine forms an integral part of the IIC Experience and this year we have included cuisines from Bengal, Ganga-Jamuna Doab. Barbeques with German cuisines and lunch from coastal Kerala will also be served this time," Verma said.

IIC Experience will screen thematic films, celebrating 'Six Decades of Spanish Cinema' and 'A Date with Shakespeare', featuring six adaptations by directors like Basil Dearden, Grigori Kozintsev, Akira Kurosawa and Roman Polanski.
The festival will present a restored version of famous Italian silent film 'Cenere' made in 1916. The film, directed by Febo Mari, is an adaption from the 1904 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Sardinian writer Grazia Deledda.
The screening will be followed with a live muscial perfromance by Italian saxophonist Marcello Allulli, pianist Giovanni Ceccarelli and musical artiste Matteo Fraboni.
IIC will mark the birth centenary of the legendary artist, MS Subbulakshmi, with a special presentation 'Born to Sing: A Shy Girl from Madurai'. The morning concert will be a unique collaboration of music, storytelling and singing.

Jayateerth Mevundi, a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Kirana Gharana, is also one of the performers at the event.
The festival will culminate on October 26 with a special concert performance by international Accordion State Youth Orchestra which includes members in the age group of 16 to 26 years.