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Aakriti Art Gallery has tried to project through an annual exhibition works of artists who are less than forty years of age. Artists from all over India send their CDs of their work along with their bio-data to the gallery. From this selection is made after careful scrutiny. This year, not only artists of India, but the whole of the sub-continent and few from other parts of the world, have sent in their visual documents. Previously sculptors, painters and printmakers participated. This year's exhibition has included installation and video art.
The diverse expression of these media cannot be accommodated within even large spaces of Aakriti's own galleries. They will be exposed in a carnival type large area. It is hoped the show will attract large number of viewers and onlookers from all walks of life.
Generation of artists in the age group 65-95 is going older by the day. The established artists are all senior citizens. Their name, work and even signature evoke nostalgia or reverence. Most of them bask in the sunlight of their fame, wallow in money and have things in plenty that wealth can provide. They are seen participating in art camps in the world of tourist destination spots. They however suffer from maladies inflicted by old age. Some of them are darlings of gallery owners while others have their self organized ways of selling their works from home. The auction houses also help. Flowers bloom and wither. Blossoms fall in the dust and mix with dirt. The fragrance of yesteryears vanishes in the air. Waves in the azure sea rise up and try to touch the sky and fall with forth in the mouth like a drunken sailor and disappear. Other waves rise to replace them.
Previously art movements had their Shivalik range, the middle Himalayas and then the range of peaks. Great and major artists dotted cities. Once, not very long ago, during, in between and after the World War II, France had Picasso, Matisse, Braque and a host of other greats. Leave alone the rest of India, once Kolkata could boast the three Tagores and Jamini Roy. Now mediocrity prevails throughout the world major figures in today's art world, are like a golden harvest that will be soon mowed down. Now cities have serious artists and mediocrity fighting among themselves for a place in the sun.
In this situation, false prophets are there to whitewash writings on the walls. They speak with authority: 'Anyone can be an artist. There is no need for art training. Art institutions should be closed down. It is an age of media hype. Harold Robins type of authors are best seller and Michael Jackson becomes a celebrity while Pavarotti remains relatively less known.
As painting becomes carpet design to match the interior decor of the new rich class and sculpture is by-passed, as it were, for installation, Aakriti keeps trying sincerely to make sense in this chaotic situation. Famous 20th century artists are ageing. Their following generation is in their fifties. Desperately Vikram Bachhawat is trying to locate new talented artists of the new century. He is on the look out for the artists who are in the stages of an unsure beginner. He wants to nurse them from the silkworm stage until they become butterflies. This is a big experiment and is highly commendable.
--Sandip Sarkar
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