Art magazine released at Chitrakala Parishat

The release function of "Art Etc", a magazine on contemporary art and culture saw discussions on art market, venues for interactions between artistes and more.

That Bangalore is fast gaining recognition (long overdue, some may argue) as a hub for art related activities was further reinforced when ‘Art Etc’, a magazine of contemporary art and culture, published by Emami Chisel Art, Kolkata, was released at Chitrakala Parishat on  November 4th 2009.

Dr Annapurna Garimella, art historian specialising in India, released the magazine. While addressing the gathering, she spoke about the importance of art journalism. She also spoke about the history of art journalism in India and mentioned about the trends in it during the colonial period and post independence (which saw the rewriting of Indian history in a nationalistic way).

Amit Mukhopadyaya, from Emami Chisel (an auction house which publishes the magazine), mentioned, among other things, that it was not an easy job to publish an art magazine. He talked about how it was often a challenge for such a magazine to cover a wide range of art related topics while also not appearing biased.

The book release was followed by a Panel Discussion, “Does an art magazine help art practice to grow and develop?”. Pic: Deepa Vaishnavi.

Talking about Art Etc, he mentioned that the magazine was first released in June this year in Kolkata and  New Delhi. The current issue is being released in Mumbai and  Baroda in addition to Bangalore with the third issue’s release being planned for Feb 2010 in Guwahati and  Bangladesh. He added that this magazine would be currently available through India Book House (IBH) and would soon be available at galleries, book shops and art centers across India.

The book release was followed by a panel discussion, “Does an art magazine help art practice to grow and develop?”. Moderated by Dr R K Kulkarni, Art Historian, the panel members included Suresh Jayaram (visual artist and art historian), Frank Barthalemy (art collector), M Shanthamani (artist) and H A Anil Kumar (art historian). The points brought up included the opportunities an art magazine provides to a writer, content of a regional (versus national) magazine, the boon and bane that advertisements are, the space available to feature newly discovered and  upcoming artists along with established ones, the possible shaping of the art market based on what is written in an art magazine, pressures of the market, the near-nonexistent articles in art magazines on sensitive issues like fraud and misappropriation, interactions (rather the lack of it) between artistes that would help them (further) grow and develop, etc.

It was heartening to note that the function, which was well attended, not only started on time, it also made an effort to present some of the issues that are faced by art magazines (and artists) in India today.

For the uninitiated, a brief clarification on Contemporary Art. While Modern Art could be considered art from the time of Impressionists (say, around 1880) up until the 1960’s or 70’s, contemporary art could be considered art from the 1960’s or 70’s up until this very minute. Some say that the contemporary art period commenced post World War II.

Definitions and descriptions aside, what matters most, is that we Bangaloreans sure do enjoy art, in all its various shapes, sizes and  descriptions.  ⊕

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Are Chennai streets safe for women? Here’s what they told us

85.9% of women in Chennai who responded to the survey think that CCTV cameras in public spaces make streets safer for women.

In view of Women's Day, observed on March 8, Citizen Matters conducted an online survey on women's safety in Chennai. As many as 171 women took part in this survey between the age group of 18 to 51 years. These women were from areas like Sholinganallur, Adyar, T Nagar, Kotturpuram, Thiruvanmiyur, Royapuram, Perambur, Madipakkam, Anna Nagar and other parts of Chennai. Though we circulated the survey across Chennai, many of the responses were from women in the Southern parts of Chennai, indicating the lack of access for women from areas of North Chennai to take part in such online surveys.…

Similar Story

The consequences of eviction: Women face the wrath of domestic violence

Why should evictions cause domestic violence? Our conversation with women in Chennai's resettlement areas brings out many harsh realities.

At 16, when Jency* got married to a man her family chose for her, she dreamt of a blissful life. Her husband, a carpenter, toiled to make ends meet, while she was a homemaker. Life was tough but they were content. "During weekends, he would take us to the beach and once in a while we went to the movies. Eating Delhi appalam and walking along the seashore at Marina Beach with my husband and my two kids is one of my favourite happy memories," she says. That was Jency's life in the past. The sole breadwinner of her family,…