Artists protest as private trust set to take over Bengaluru art gallery

A move by Karnataka to allow "adoption" of the state's only government-run art gallery to a private trust has led to protests by several renowned artists.

Artists have opposed the public-private partnership allowing the Venkatappa Art Gallery located in downtown Bengaluru to be adopted and managed by Tasveer Foundation for a period of five years.

"We are fighting for the cultural commons and our public space. This is a wrong precedent being set by the government where a public cultural institution is being given away carte blanche to a corporate house to occupy and rebuild," said N Pushpamala, a Bengaluru-based photo and visual artist, whose first exhibition was at the Gallery.
 

In 2014, Karnataka devised a plan to involve public-private participation to upgrade and manage 46 tourist destinations across the state, including museums and galleries. The plan was based on the recommendations by the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group.

Artists have demanded that the government should continue managing the gallery and scrap the pact with Tasveer Foundation.

"We do not want the government to privatise the gallery. Where will the artists go to showcase their work?" asked Alaka Rao, an artist. "Can't the government maintain one art gallery in the state?"

Karnataka Tourism Minister R V Deshpande, however, said there was nothing wrong if corporate houses, who are mandated by the government to spend two per cent of their profits on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, adopted cultural places with a clear plan to upgrade and maintain the facilities.

He said globally the best art galleries are being maintained by the private sector keeping the interest of art and artists in mind. "We are open to talk with the artists to preserve the art and culture of the state. They are not the only stakeholders of the gallery. It is also of the citizens," said Deshpande.

"The MoU (with Tasveer Foundation) clearly states that all assets and income earned by the trust during their management of the gallery will be invested back. After that, it belongs to the state," he added.

Tasveer Foundation said the museum and its galleries would be refurbished and new galleries would be added along with conservation lab and digital interpretation zones by local architects.

The pact also mandates the foundation to reinvest funds collected from the museum activities. "The protestors have not reached out to me directly with their concerns. All of it is being done in the public domain," said Abhishek Poddar of Tasveer Foundation. "As far as I am concerned, the project is very much alive."

A prominent Bengaluru citizen, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who is also the chairman of Biocon, termed the protests as an attempt to deny citizens access to better quality museums and art centres. "World over, cultural and educational sectors welcome the support of private sector to improve their services… I understand why some artists might not want to own-up to the shortcomings of the current system of which they are a part, but why should the rest of the city, and the next generation of artists and citizens, be held back because of this emotional and outdated sentiment?" Shaw, who is a member of the Trust, wrote in a blogpost on Friday.

Last year, due to similar protests, Shaw had to scrap her plan to adopt and modernise Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum.