Date:04/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070450980200.htm

New Delhi

A colourful celebration of art, cinema and culture

Madhur Tankha

Exhibition busting myth about violent themes in art works begins today

An 18th Century Thangka painting illustrating Lalita, the four-armed goddess.

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will inaugurate Osian’s new festival at India Habitat Centre here on Saturday that intends to break the myth that violent themes in art works bring about destructive tendencies.

Titled “Jashn-Osianama: Kala, Cinema and Sanskriti Ka Mela”, the select collection for Jashn Osianama brings together art works and other cultural objects of exceptional quality from around the world. The exhibition, focusing on “500 Years of Violence, Non- Violence”, will continue up to July 21.

Jashn-Osianama will henceforth be held annually in both Delhi and Mumbai, wherein the best of Indian, Asian and world art, cinema and culture from the Osian’s Archive Collection will be shared systematically with the public.

While the Delhi exhibition comprises select paintings of Indian modern and contemporary art focusing on the concept of death and its myriad expressions and shadows, the Mumbai event that ended recently focused on Japanese Samurai art, Tibetan Thangkas, Pahari miniatures, antiquarian photography and the science-fiction and horror posters of the 1950s.

Described as a visually spectacular collection of over a hundred rare and magnificent art works, the exhibition features works by accomplished artists including Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, F.N. Souza, Nikhil Biswas, Satish Gujral, Ganesh Pyne, Manjit Bawa, Rameshwar Broota, K.C.S. Paniker, Krishen Khanna and Vivan Sundaram.

“Death and its Shadows” with focus on its violent character in many cases has been expressed with a vast diversity of angst and creativity. All artists at some stage of their evolution find a focus on this theme, or with ideas deeply intertwined with such a preoccupation. The ability to absorb the violence of pain, suffering, injustice through the creative process, and therein creating a symbol of inspiration is at the heart of all art works in this exhibition.

An artist through the non-violence of creativity subsumes what could be destructive and gives it an expression which inspires others to create, to delve deeper into themselves and recognise their potential.

Jashn-Osianama has been curated by Neville Tuli. Shedding light on the exhibition, the Osian founder says any great exhibition is first and foremost an infrastructure-building platform and all art can really do is energise art connoisseurs to participate a bit deeper, to fall in love anew, and from that a new respect evolves, a new participation to take responsibility: “Without this energy our heritage and creativity has little chance of integrating itself into daily life, so as to nurture a stronger sense of identity with our inner creativity and cultural past.”