Public art festival calls attention to sustainability

A stroll through a city mall, which many pay a visit to in search of retail therapy, isn’t usually the place where one expects to reflect upon sustainability. But, the ongoing Madras Art Guild 2020, a public art initiative, is making people stop, stare and think while they casually go on about their shopping. With the participation of over 100 arts students from various colleges, along with veteran artists, this month-long public art fest themed around sustainability is throwing light on the impact of the lifestyles we choose to lead on our planet.

Amidst the several fast fashion and high-end retailers located at VR Chennai, where the art fest is set, are about 50 installations by budding and veteran artists. A majority of the rustic artworks use thrown away plastics, old cloths, found objects like drift wood, and garbage. As we took a walk through the mall, we spotted a human figure made out of what appeared like old chess boards and pawns, standing erect with folded hands and seemingly lost in thoughts. A few shoppers noticed it to stop for a quick selfie with the wooden-figure. Further ahead, next to a huge fashion store, was a giant sewing machine ­— sewn together using mismatched pieces of cloth by the participating students of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai. The unmissable mammoth structure made sure it piqued the attention of visitors.

In another walkway was an installation by two students from College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam. Holding pieces of yesteryear’s technology — floppies, CDs, cassette tapes, landline telephones and typewriters — the artwork reminded passers-by of all things that have been rendered useless by modern digital advancements. Adults could be seen pointing out these objects to their young ones, growing up in a world that has surpassed the colourful CDs.

The space was also dotted with works of veteran artists like Gita Hudson, Benitha Perciyal, Seema Kohli, Parvathi Nayar, Michael Wegener, Yuvan Bothysathuvar and Vijay Pichumani. Other installations were from NIFT, Chennai, Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation, Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, Government College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam, Gallery Veda and the International Foundation for the Arts.

Public art fests have been efficient in getting people to appreciate arts, notes Madras Art Guild’s curator Sumi Gupta. “When we envisaged the public art show, we decided the theme would be sustainability as the world’s attention currently is on saving our planet. The idea was to shine light on different aspects of sustainability. The fest is also a great opportunity for students to showcase their works alongside established artists. I find that public art has the ability to transform the environment it is in,” she remarks. Besides the installations, the fest, which is on till February 23, also includes a basement art project (February 8-18), a children’s art competition (February 8-9) and an art bazaar (February 15-16).

Veteran artist Seema Kohli, whose paintings from her ‘Golden Womb’ series are on display, points out that there is a growing awareness among artists on the need for sustainable art. “Many artists, including myself, are constantly exploring newer mediums of expression that can be more sustainable. Many artists put out art in the name of sustainability, but one doesn’t know what happens to the artwork after the show is done. I’m also exploring working with cloth weavers to use thread in my works,” she shares. Even if people only take selfies with the artworks, it is necessary for art to be in public spaces, Seema stresses. “We have to take art out of galleries and allow people to see the artists’ minds,” she adds.