The A,B,Z Of Art

“It is an art promotion company,” says Bhateja,adding that the name Aebeez is based on the simple principle of phonetics. “Ae and B sounds like a bee and Z symbolises the unknown and fascinating aspects of art that we wish to explore and highlight. The aim is to provide a platform to those who don’t have one. I am not interested in promoting established artists. Art is all about exposure. If nurtured,it holds the potential to bring about a social change. Our purpose is to simply act as catalysts and provide a platform to artists.” Interestingly,Bhateja has got several students working with him. It includes writer Pashneet Kaur,engineering students Chetan Bansal and Manyu Bahmani as photographers and Nischal Masand and Ankur Kapoor,who work as cinematographers. The only full-time professional is Jasmeet Shaan,who is a choreographer. “This team was a must because we will produce music videos and films. Actors will also be introduced,” says Bhateja

On Sunday,Bhateja organised one of his first events at Café Kafee Kuch located in Lajpat Rai Bhawan,Sector 15. The bands Soul The Duo and Swastik,performed to a packed audience. “The two bands,along with seven others from Chandigarh,have been roped in for the music album Aaghaz that will be launched in June,” says Bhateja. The Rs 10 lakh project will also have songs penned by him. “I write poetry and lyrics for songs,” he smiles,adding that he is also a wedding photographer. “I only take pictures of the bride and groom and do portraits,” says Bhateja,who has 24 wedding contracts lined up this year. A medical school drop-out who applied for BCA,he ended up doing BSc in multimedia and worked as a hardcore sales person for six years. Aebeez,though,is not his only venture. “There is OZAKS too. It stands for Optimised Zone of All Kind of Experts,my first business venture into domain and web hosting,” he says.

Anything else on the cards? “We are holding a theatre festival in August,which will have a cash prize of Rs 50,000 for the best play. W e are launching an e-magazine on March 20 and a music album titled Aaghaz will be released in June. We are also organising a contest for short filmmakers called the Challenge 90,for which registrations on our website have begun,” says Bhateja. To add to this,www.aebeez.com will also have a regular news update on art.

With 2,600 followers on Twitter,a Facebook account flooded with inquires,and aspiring musicians and filmmakers lining up for sponsorships and recordings,Bhateja says life could not have been better. “The wheels of change are in motion,” he says. A team of experts is now being put together for brainstorming. “I also have a blog and am a relationship counsellor — a break-up expert to be more precise,” he adds.