Fair Deal

The uniqueness of the event has generated both interest among students,amateur artists and professionals looking for a platform to give vent to their creativity. The fair is a no-frills event,without branding,commercial interest or sponsors,where artists can promote their work,unhindered by market forces. “The idea is to initiate the culture of use of free open public spaces for promotion of art and culture,develop collaborations between local talents and initiate a dialogue between artists and the community at large,” explains Dr Gaurav Chhabra,curator of May Fair.

For the participants,this fair lets them connect with like-minded people,build bridges,observe artistic trends in the city and take a break from the humdrum flow of life. Many turn up simply to lend support. “Though exams are on in full swing,we have an overwhelming number of entries in all categories,with many joining in after their exams get over,” says Chhabra.

Engineering students Sohrab and Arpit of the group Dram-e-baaz will be staging Hum Honge Kaamyab,along with 14 other actors. “Theatre is a welcome break from regular activities,” says Arpit. The 25-minute play talks of the crises facing the country including brain drain,atrocities on women,female foeticide and communal violence. “The play draws parallels between India and an old,afflicted lady,” says Sohrab. Mask theatre and CEVA are also staging a 40-minute play on contemporary issues called Khuli Hawa ki Talaash Mein.

Photography enthusiasts form a big group,with the photo exhibition Colours of Chandigarh showcasing more than 100 pictures on big reversed cartons of refrigerators. For Purnesh,a fourth-year engineering student and avid photographer,poet and painter,the Leisure Valley should become a centre of art. Agrees Rajnish,a young theatre artist,who feels that young artists “need a stage that is free of cost and be amidst people who think like us.”

“Art should not be limited to galleries and be reserved for the elite and common people too need a platform,” says Amit,who is displaying his pictures here,summing up the dominant feeling at the gathering.

A step ahead
The May Fair is yet another effort to reclaim an open public platform of expression,close on the heels of recent campaigns like Free the Open Hand Monument and Tagore Bylanes that campaign for lowering rates for amateurs so that staging venues do not remain restricted to the elite or to established artists. According to Dr Chhabra,the food joint at Leisure Valley,Stop n Stare,was proposed to the Chandigarh Administration as a cultural building to promote art and culture in the city,for as per zoning plan of Chandigarh,the area is strictly reserved for cultural-cum-education buildings only. CITCO envisaged a building with an open air theatre with a stage and seating area in the form of an amphitheatre in the proposal and concept drawings submitted to the Chandigarh Administration. The approval was granted only on the basis that the amphitheatre would be a cultural building and the kitchen/food joint would be a public amenity attached to it. But the open air theatre was not built,and while the food joint is running as a commercial venture,no cultural activity has been organised in the last eight years.

The city of Chandigarh,Chhabra says,was envisioned as a symbol of India’s future planned cities where citizens would get enough platforms and opportunities to express themselves. Hence the campaign to lower rates for staging venues like Tagore theatre,and the concerted demand to reclaim such spaces which local artists can access without restrictive,prohibitive costs impeding such access. “May Fair is a step in that direction,’’ he adds. (EFS)

FRESH START
Students of the Continental Group,Mohali organised a on-campus fashion exhibition on Friday. Dressed in self-designed attires,the students showcased a collection comprising saris,lehengas,dupattas,and blouses. Coral colours like aqua,lime green,peacock blues were the dominant hues,while the young designers also experimented with drapes and layering,using sheer fabrics like chiffon,silk chanderi and georgette treated with tie-n-dye.