Art exhibitions, film screenings have moved to private spaces

Almost one and a half years ago, galleries and exhibition halls in the city were brimming with art shows by local and international artists. The pandemic has changed the idea of physical exhibitions and we saw a lot of virtual exhibitions hosted by artists and galleries.

But even after the relaxations, artists like Koilpitchai Prabhakar weren’t willing to host public art shows. Instead of renting an art gallery, the artist converted his house mottamaadi (terrace) into an exhibition space and hosted an exhibition. “For events like art exhibitions or symposiums, there is already a system in place. I wanted to bring in a new trend and make art more democratic. That’s the reason I hosted the art exhibition at my house in Perambur. If you take galleries in Chennai, the majority of them charge a huge rent. In today’s scenario, many artists might not be able to afford it. Also, certain galleries wanted artists to focus on a particular theme. But here, I have complete freedom to display my work the way I want,” Prabhakar tells DT Next.

Prabhakar has observed that only artists and art lovers visit art exhibitions in galleries. “You cannot find a common man stepping in just to see what’s happening. But in private spaces like houses, we can invite anyone to share the experience. For my exhibition, even children from the neighborhood came in. I feel this is one of the best ways to democratize art,” he adds.

Founders of Backyard, Akshaya Chittybabu, and Nithya Fernandez, have introduced a new concept called Bring Your Own Film. 

“After being cooped up at home for a long time, Chennaiites now wanted to spend time and connect with their friends. But they don’t want to invite people home or visit theatres. Many are preferring private spaces instead of public spaces. So we decided to allow small groups to come in and watch films of their choice from our space in Adyar. We will be providing a projector, speakers, etc, they just have to bring the film. So far, we have hosted two private film screenings. One was a group and the other a couple. Interestingly, the film screening for the couple ended in a proposal. We have been getting a few inquires after we shared about it,” the duo says