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INTERNATIONAL
Art
India on the international art map: Indian art is once again the focus of the St Moritz Art Masters 2014. With the picturesque Swiss Alps in the background, Engadin will be hosting the seventh edition of the festival. The first day of the event features a talk with artist Nalini Malani while the group exhibition, “India: Maximum City”, curated by Birgid Uccia focuses on ten emerging and established artists who have been highlighting the dynamic growth of the metropolis through their work. Sunaina Anand of Art Alive Gallery will be presenting the works of Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman and R Burman at the event. While Maity’s work, Mystic Abode, is a monumental installation of 8,000 brass bells that signifies human yearning for spiritual peace, Jayasri Burman’s Dharitri is a sculpture that has been reinterpreted and re-imagined for contemporary India. Fashion photographer R Burman creates an interplay of light and shadow to create intriguing stories.
Where: Across venues in St Moritz
When: August 22 to 31
For more information, visit http://www.stmoritzartmasters.com/walk-of-art/welcome.html
Film
All the world's a stage: The Embassy of the United States of America in cooperation with Cinedarbaar are hosting the Stage Adaptation Film Festival this weekend. Some of the films that were successfully adapted from the stage to be screened at the American Center include The Philadelphia Story (1940) Casablanca (1942) Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Deathtrap (1982) Amadeus (1984). Entry is by invitation only, to request one please e-mail AmCenterND@state.gov.
Where: American Centre, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi
When: 21-23 August, through the day
Info: To view the entire schedule, log on to https://www.facebook.com/events/697813396972480/
Art
A sense of calm: Cafe Turtle presents an exhibition of water colours and naturescapes by artist Pooja Ratnakar. Co-founder of Potli and the Kolkata-based NGO Kadam, Ratnakar has been working in the crafts sector for the past two decades. Minimalistic and with a dreamlike quality to them, the paintings offer a relief from the bustling world outside.
Where: Cafe Turtle, N Block, Greater Kailash-1
When: August 23 to 31, 10.30 am to 8 pm
Reinterpreting traditional weaves: A three-day exhibition, “Sarees of India - Innovating Tradition”, brings together a collection of handwoven saris from across the country. Organised by the Delhi Crafts Council, the exhibition focuses on techniques and ideas that are reinventing the traditional weaves and prints. The event features 20 participants working across textile genres such as chanderi, chikankari, linen, khadi, kantha, ikat, venkatgiri and uppad.
Where: Shilpi Haat, 2nd Floor, Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi
When: September 4 to 6
Balloon seller by Gayatri Tandon
Celebrating diversity in art: 4th Wall Art is presenting a group exhibition of 33 artists “EKAM- Towards the Countless...” (including paintings, sculptures, prints and ceramics). The show is curated by Priyanka Dua and Gaurav Chawla, and guests of honour for the opening of the show are eminent artists Satish Gujral, Niren Sen Gupta and Siddhartha Tagore. The artists include Amita Gupta, Amrit Kapoor, Anand Krishnan, Asim Pal, Bhaskar Nayar, Bheem Malhotra, Chand Kumar Doliya, Devji Shrimali, Gaurav Chawla, Gayatri Tandon, Geetika Sangwan, Kamaljeet, Kapil Kapoor, Kristine Michael, Harminder Singh Boparai, Meenakshi Wadhwa, Mishika Chawla, Nandita Richie, Neerajj Mittra, Nidhi Desai, Prabhinder Lall, Prince Chand, Priyanka Dua, Radhika Seksaria, Raosaheb Gurav, Ruchi Chadha, Sangeeta Sharma, Sonal Kabra, Shikha Osan, Swati Pasari, Umesh Hatkhambar, Nidhi Sehgal and Vikash Kalra.
Where: Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
When: 21-24 August, 11 am - 7 pm
Workshop
Soulful workout: Indulge in a sitar yoga workshop to unwind this weekend. Zubin Atre silently conducts the session as participants follow asanas to the flow of the sitar played by Galen Passen.
Where: Atre Yoga Studio, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
When: 23 August, 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm
Info: Rs 550 for current students, Rs 800 for general admission, to reserve your spot send an email to info@atreyogastudio.com
Music
Experiments with rock: Groove to the tunes of Half Step Down, a Delhi-based rock ‘n’ roll band and Fuzzculture, a two-piece electronica outfit from Delhi.
Where: Summer House Cafe, Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi
When: 22 August, 9 pm
Book Reading
Tribute to Julio Cortazar: To mark the birth centenary of famed Argentine novelist Julio Cortazar, Varoon P Anadand will read Meeting, a story of a group of guerrillas who landed in Cuba.
Where: India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
When: August 22, 7 pm
MUMBAI
Art
Cause on canvas: The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association (MFPA), through its Indian Chapter IMFPA, is hosting a collection of paintings titled ‘Self–help’ to bring the work of its artists to the masses. Among the various mediums explored by the 18 artists are acrylic on canvas, oil on canvas and watercolour. Established in 1956, the MFPA is a registered society of disabled artists that is owned and run by the artists themselves to meet their financial needs. Members paint with the brush held in the mouth or foot as a result of a disability sustained at birth or due to an accident or illness. With more than 800 artists as its members, the MFPA is spread across 74 countries and has over 50,000 paintings in its art collection.
When: Until Aug 31, 11am – 7pm
Where: Sofitel, Bandra-Kurla-Complex, Mumbai
Tantra trip: Delhi Art Gallery will present a retrospective of G. R. Santosh. Described as “an unassuming trailblazer,” Santosh is considered one of the most significant names from the neo-tantra movement in Indian art. The artist would paint landscapes in his native Kashmir when he was discovered by S.H. Raza study and began studying at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda under N. S. Bendre. From figurative and abstract painting, Santosh’s art shifted firmly towards tantra after a mystical experience in the Amarnath cave in 1964. The exhibition includes 120 works spanning his early days until his last paintings. It also includes published and unpublished poetry in Kashmiri and English.
When: Aug 23-Sept 30
Where: Delhi Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai
Morning music: Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha have trained in Dagarbani of dhrupad with Zia Mohiuddin and Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The brothers are said to be among the outstanding exponents of dhrupad today, and have performed extensively in India and internationally. In Indian music, it is believed that a raga is more effective when performed at a particular time of day or night. This concert will feature dhrupad, dhamar and sadra in ragas designated to the morning.
When: Aug 24, 10 am
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
Tickets: Rs 300-350
Masters of Manipuri: As part of a special on Manipuri dance, Indian dance historian, scholar and critic Dr. Sunil Kothari and exponent Kalavati Devi will begin the evening with a pre-performance session. Remembering Singh on his 96th birthday, Darshana Jhaveri will pay a tribute by performing his creative compositions. The compositions exhibit the technicalities, complexities and subtleties of the classical dance form, reflecting Singh’s unique creative strengths. It will be followed by a presentation by his daughter Bimbavati Devi showing the next generation’s work through her own choreography.
When: Aug 23, 6 pm
Where: Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
Kaleidoscopic camera: Kaleidoscope, presented by Tasveer gallery and Vacheron Constantin, is an exhibition by internationally renowned British fashion photographer Ram Shergill. The images on display depict a world of altered perceptions that are bold captivating. Shergill’s photographs often place side by side unrelated elements in vibrant colours and forms. The unusual play of lights is also among the striking features of his works. They are influenced by the work of artists Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn.
When: Until Aug 25
Where: StoryLTD, Prabhadevi, Mumbai
BANGALORE
Art
Geometry, inspired by the vedas: Manifesto Ratios, Astha Butail’s debut solo exhibition, will portray wall installation, video sculpture and an interactive project. Butail’s formal minimalism stems from her research on the Rig Veda and her use of geometry is considered to be an expression of the building blocks that make up our spiritual universe. She has shown previously at GallerySKE Delhi, Devi Art Foundation’s Sarai Reader and Masquelibros Book Fair in Madrid.
Where: GallerySKE, Langford Town, Bangalore
When: August 23 to October 4
Theatre
The price of success: Pagdi, written and directed by Swetanshu Bora, takes a look at the place of history in modern life, through a Sikh man who chases opportunities and wealth. Narrated in the first person, the play asks a pertinent question: what did he achieve, and what did he give up on the journey? The play will be performed by Dramanon.
Where: Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar, Bangalore
When: August 28 and 29, 7.30 pm
Photography
East of the Berlin Wall: What was life like in the state founded as the Workers’ and Peasants’ State in 1949 in the aftermath of the Second World War, and which existed east of the Cold War divide until 1989? Take a look through the lens of Helga Paris, who chronicled life in post-war East Germany for four decades. Apart from East Germany, Paris travelled through Poland, Georgia and Transylvania for her work.
Where: Max Mueller Bhawan, CMH Road, Indira Nagar, Bangalore
When: On till August 30, 2 pm to 6.30 pm
