Whitefield Art Collective to highlight art of Bengaluru and beyond

According to curator Sumi Gupta, the idea behind the festival is to create a space where people can freely express themselves, particularly in terms of identity, making it a diverse and inclusive platform. “As for the films we selected, this is actually a film festival hosted by the British Council, showcasing Five Films for Freedom. These films, created by global filmmakers, focus on themes of inclusivity, identity, and the need for a more accepting society,” Gupta said.

The festival has largely collaborated with local artists for many of the exhibits. Gupta said that every festival is deeply rooted in the local community, with collaborations involving both local and global institutions. “The students working on the art installations are always from local schools. For example, in the Whitefield Art Collective, they come from institutions like the Bangalore School of Design and Chitrakala Parishath,” the curator said.

Among the major exhibits not to be missed are ‘The Sunflower Series’ by Chennai-based artist Gita Hudson and ‘Through The Window’ by Korean artist SoonYoung Yang. Other displays use existing objects as mediums of art – one of these is an auto-rickshaw made into an art display- created by an artist who is a rickshaw driver and art student by night. Another is a car turned into an exhibit known as the Kala Car, by LGBTQ artist and activist Kalki Subramaniam. Among the many displays and sculptures on exhibit by Bengaluru artists are the ‘Braided River’ photo display by Unesco, which focuses on prominent Indian women in STEM and ‘Hey!’ that shows off the artistic and photographic talent of neurodivergent contributors.

‘Through The Window’ by Korean artist SoonYoung Yang. (Source: Express Photo)

Bangaloreans who appreciate the history and diversity of their city will also not be disappointed, with contemporary photos from across the city as well as archaic and little-known maps of the city from the 1800s and even earlier being displayed.

The primary exhibits will be on display until April 28, while there will be an Art Bazaar at the venue from April 22. The ‘Whitefield Literary Society’ event will include panel discussions by authors. Besides, there will be a puppet show and workshop on April 19, a Young Artist programme on April 6, and a workshop by Franck Provost and Blue Tokai on April 26.