The new houses of art
niche concept in India confined to museums and galleries, so what makes public arts initiatives like Publica tick for the artists? “The very idea of taking the art to the people appealed to us from the very start. Art, as we know it, has usually been confined to galleries and events that usually cater to small gatherings of art lovers, etc. Here, we could reach out to everyone,” says Vikrant Sharma, adding, “We expect the intrigue and the inquisitiveness toward art among people to grow regardless of where they come from. We expect this experience to last with them much longer and make them more open and curious towards the art scenario in general.”
“I think it’s in everybody’s interest to get more viewership and patronage for arts in general, so that art becomes more accessible and even artists want and need that,” says Modi. “The artists also understood our ethos and the fact that this was a unique opportunity to reach out to a new audience in a secure environment. The venues themselves were quite unusual and presented an interesting challenge for the artists involved. Some of the artworks were generously loaned by galleries and they shared our vision, and also felt that today’s viewers could be tomorrow’s buyers.”
However, the concept of public art remains constrained in India and not without incidents of vandalism.
Says Threshold Art Gallery’s Tunty Chauhan, “It has to do with our small-minded nature. We think of our home and not about the street outside...look
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