Enrich your weekend by celebrating textiles and visiting West End

Some recommendations to enliven your weekend

DELHI

Art and crafts

Multi-layered expressions: Art Alive Gallery presents ‘The Great Outdoors’, a solo exhibition by Nayanaa Kanodia. Her works represent the close bond that man shares with nature. She writes: “My paintings are varying angles of a single prism. At first glance, you see a humored portrayal of a quaint scene; upon further examination, an integrated, multi-layered expression reveals itself. One can grasp the complexity and nuance of my vision only after abandoning our typical notions and then keenly observing the relationships and components at play.”
Where: Art Alive Gallery, S-221, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi
When: Till August 20, 2014

A significant collection: The exhibition,  “A Passionate Eye: Textiles, Paintings and Sculptures from the Bharany Donation”, features not only textiles but also an array of stone sculptures, bronze images, paintings, wood carvings and manuscripts. These objects were donated to the National Museum in 1976 by jewellery store owner C L Bharany in memory of his father, R K Bharany. This is the first special exhibition by the museum that highlights the significance of private collectors in enriching a cultural institution's collections
Where: The National Museum, Janpath, New Delhi
When: Till August 14

Celebrating Indian textiles: Kamala Gallery presents ‘Love of the Loom’, a collection of dupattas and textiles from across India. The collection offers stunning and varied array of handwoven and printed textiles. Founded in 1964 by Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay as an initiative of the Crafts Council of India, Kamala Gallery seeks to showcase the excellence and creativity of the traditional Indian artisan, both in handicrafts and textiles.
Where: Kamala Gallery, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi
When: August 4-14, 10 am to 7 pm (Sundays closed)

Music

Lalit Kala Akademi turns 60: As a part of 60th year celebrations of the Lalit Kala Akademi, santoor Maestro and music composer Abhay Rustum Sopori presents a concert at Kamani Auditorium. The concert takes you on a journey of India through the musical notes of santoor in unison with the classical, Sufi, traditional and ethnic sounds and drums of India presenting a cultural ethos of India enchanting the listeners and taking them into a state of ecstasy. The concert features around  musicians on 30 instruments such as the santoor, tabla, pakhawaj, mridangam, ghatam, sarangi and the cello.
Where: Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi
When: August 5, 6 pm

Talks

August at IGNCA begins with a lecture on “Conservation of the Living Monuments of Multan” as part of the ICOMOS-India Lecture Series. The presentation by Professor Fauzia Husain Qureshi focuses on Multan’s rich cultural and built heritage and its present conditions. This is followed by public lectures on Buddhist art and philosophy. Also interesting is a lecture, “In Search of Bamboo Flower: North East Saga”.
Where:  IGNCA Lecture Room, 11, Mansingh Road, New Delhi
When: “Conservation of the Living Monuments of Multan” will take place on August 1. You can attend the public lectures on Buddhism on August 1, 6 and while the lecture, “In Search of Bamboo Flower: North East Saga”, will take place on August 7.

Dance

Garba in the city: A one month garba-dandiya dance workshop is being organised by Ahmedabad-based choreographer Bharat Singh Rajawat this month. For those dance enthusiasts who want to try out this festive form, demo classes are taking place this weekend, followed by the workshop from August 22 to September 22, culminating into a gala event and performance mela on September 26.  
Where: Natya Ballet ACentre, 21 Bhai Veer Singh Marg, New Delhi
When: August 2 and 3
Info: Call 9810083273 for registration details

MUMBAI

Art

A rare visual archive: A special exhibition titled ‘Visual Archives of Kulwant Roy’ will be hosted on the occasion of the birth centenary of preeminent photojournalist Kulwant Roy (1914- 1984). This show, which is being curated by Mr Aditya Arya of India Photo Archive Foundation, includes a vast collection of the rare and historical black and white photographs. In the process of documenting the rare works of Roy, Arya chanced upon a valuable visual archive, including several unpublished pictures of a momentous era in India's history. These images from around the 1940s, which lay hidden for decades, have been restored by Arya.
Where: National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
When: August 2, 11 am-6 pm

Portraying the truth: In a series called ‘Lizard’, artist Tathi Premchand will explore the relationship between man and nature. As man progressed, he steadily brought change in nature’s appearance, says the artist. “My interaction with nature as well as reality of urban people has led me to create these drawings, portraying the truth of contemporary scenario.” The series’ title is a nod to a lizard’s ability to stick to the wall, just like “pathos and poignancy that never leave us.” Premchand draws inspiration from the works of South African artist William Kentridge and English painter David Hockney. Each of his pieces has a different appeal and presentation method, setting different moods with use of topic relevant colors, forms and style.
Where: Art Gate Gallery, Churchgate, Mumbai
When: Until August 4

Abstract scapes: 'Prafulla Dahanukar- A Retrospective,' curated by Nicholai Sachdev of Gallery 7 will include paintings starting from the artist’s early works until her latest. Paintings and sculptures contributed by other artists towards the benefit of the Prafulla Dahanukar Foundation, which helps young artists, are also part of the show. Dahanukar’s first painting from 1956, in which she tried to depict the mood of the raga, reveals the influence of V.S. Gaitonde who shared a studio with her. Her early career included portraits and figurative works. Over the course of the next three decades, she moved towards abstract scapes that show speed as well as depth.   
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery and Gallery 7, Mumbai.
When: Until August 3 at Jehangir and August 5-31 at Gallery 7.

Theatre

Of children’s films and trysts with thespians: August at the National Centre for the Performing Arts opens with an acclaimed Marathi play, Aaydaan. Based on the novel by Urmila Pawar, the play tries to find a parallel between the patterns of bamboo articles or aaydaan and the pattern of lives in the Konkan tied together by the threads of suffering. Like aaydaan, Pawar weaves through words, the life stories of many Urmilas, Vimalas, Sushilas, who represent a Dalit woman in the Konkan. This is followed by a screening of the Mexican film Bacalar as part of the WorldKids Film Club. The film tells the story of two children, Santiago and Mariana, who like to impersonate investigative agents at Bacalar’s Lagoon. Shabana Azmi takes to stage again with the acclaimed play Broken Images. Written by Girish Karnad and Alyque Padamsee, the play is about an unsuccessful Hindi short story writer Manjula Sharma who finds sudden fame after writing a bestseller in English.
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: Aaydaan will be staged on August 1; Bacalar will be screened on August 2 while Broken Images will be staged on August 3

Celebrating the genius of Ismat Chugtai: Theatre group Motley takes over Prithvi this weekend, first with the production Kambakth Bilkul Aurat (Ismat Apa ke Naam- II). Directed by Naseeruddin Shah, the play is a collection of three stories -- Amar Bel, Nanhi ki Naani and Do Haath, narrated by Manoj Pawah, Lovleen Mishra and Seema Pawah respectively. This is followed by the humorous Dear Liar, adapted from the correspondence between George Bernard Shaw and Mrs Patrick Campbell. The play features Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah in the lead roles.
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, Mumbai
When: Kambakth Bilkul Aurat will be staged on August 1 and 3 while Dear Liar will be staged on August 2

BANGALORE

Music

Golden oldies from the West End: It promises to be an evening of your favourite tracks from West End musicals. To be performed by Toccata Musical Productions from Northern Ireland and featuring soloists from West End and artistes who have performed for BBC, “Nostalgia 2014” is a charity event. Toccato was founded by an Indian doctor, Sunil Paulraj, and is led by him and singer and conductor Judith Sheridian.
Where: Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleshwaram, Bangalore
When: 7 pm on August 2 and 3. Additional show at 11.30 on August 3
Info: Tickets(Rs 1,000-2000) available on www.bookmyshow.com

Tribute to metal gods: Counter Culture's annual Time Capsule series returns for the third year, with a great line-up. The series kicks off on Saturday with a tribute to classic metal bands. Well-known doom metal band Bevar Sea takes the stage to pay tribute to Black Sabbath while Kryptos does the same for other 80s metal bands including Iron Maiden, Metallica and Thin Lizzy.
Where: Counter Culture, Whitefield, Bangalore
When: August 2, 9 pm





Theatre

Just a minute: The women had their chance. Now, the one-minute play festival returns with an all-male cast. In Zip, Zap, Pow!, men from Bangalore and Chennai will take the stage to showcase their original pieces covering the gamut of human emotions, all in one minute. The format is popular abroad and is being showcased in India for the first time.
Where: At Atta Galatta, 5th Block, Koramangala on August 2, 7.30 pm,
at BFlat, 100 Feet Road, Indira Nagar on August 3, 8 pm

An eclectic theatre experience: August promises to be an exciting month at Ranga Shankara, beginning with a Kannada play Miss Sadarame. The play is about Sadarame, the daughter of a greedy trader, and her tryst with marriage and two subsequent suitors. Hamlet- The Crown Prince makes an appearance yet again at Ranga Shankara. The critically acclaimed play, in English and Gibberish, has been written and directed by Rajat Kapoor and has been greeted by packed auditoriums whenever it has been staged.
Where: Ranga Shankara, 36/2, 8th Cross, JP Nagar, 2nd Phase, Bangalore
When: Miss Sadarame on August 1 and Hamlet- The Clown Prince,  between August 2 and 8

INTERNATIONAL

Spearheading an avant-garde art movement: The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum presents ‘Wang Jianwei: Time Temple’, an immersive exhibition of new work by the Beijing-based artist and his first solo museum exhibition in North America. Wang is recognized within China for his bold conceptual practice and vital contributions to the avant-garde and experimental art movements of the reform era that spans the early 1980's to the present day. Informed by critical theory and philosophy, his work links formal concerns about art making and process with inquiries into contemporary society and the experience of time. ‘Time Temple’ is the first in a series of three commission-based exhibitions through The Robert H N Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative at the Guggenheim Museum, which explores key ideas and core artists shaping contemporary art and discourse from China, within a global context.
Where: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York
When:  October 31, 2014 – February 16, 2015