The Battle Cry of Peace

At the risk of sounding sadist,one can say,conflict and angst have told the best stories in our generation. So,it is probably not surprising when art starts talking about living in fear.

Galleries across the city talk about arms,men and living in fear

At the risk of sounding sadist,one can say,conflict and angst have told the best stories in our generation. So,it is probably not surprising when art starts talking about living in fear. But art galleries across the city have joined hands to showcase the best of protest art not just for their aesthetic implications,but also to shake people cocooned in their own worlds out of complacence. About a month after the 26/11 I was discussing ways to combat terrorism in our own way with friends. That is when I realized that a large section of the society was not alert about the threats. When a group effort like this happens,people are bound to sit up and take notice, says artist Pranab Ranjan Roy who spearheaded the movement.

And then,prominent galleries in the city,got together to display a range of works that spoke about war,terrorist activities and their aftermath. The endeavour includes mind-boggling range of works and artists. More than a hundred artists and genres ranging from painting and sculpture,to installation art,photography and videos are bringing alive truths about terrorism across in galleries like Aakriti Art Gallery,The Seagull Foundation for the Arts,Khoj Kolkata,Gandhara Art Gallery,Akar Prakar,Chitrakoot Art Gallery,Gallery Sanskriti,Gallery k2,Chisel Crafts and Emami Chisel Art.

The movement will also convey that art is not just a medium of entertainment but has always been the foundation of bigger movements that spur action and understanding, says Rupinder Singh of Aakriti Art Gallery.

The Seagull Foundation for the Arts took the movement a step further by organizing an exhibit of books that deal with war and terror. The selection included Fear of Small Numbers,a caustic analysis of the fall-out of globalization by Arjun Appadurai,the disturbing history of the evolution of the car bomb (Budas Wagon by Mike Davis) and Sartres The Aftermath of War among others. We also screened films like the Israeli animated documentary by Ari Folman,Waltz With Bashir and Kurdish Iranian director Bahamn Ghobadis Turtles Can Fly. These are films that one wouldnt come across every other day, says Naveen Kishore of Seagull.

The range and media of the protest art showcased is also worth applause. From digital prints on paper that superimpose conflicting images to make a point to short video grabs; from brooding photographs to woodcuts,from paintings to installations with fibreglass,plastic,glass the movement seems to have packed quite a visual punch. We hope that it stirs more awareness that just grabbing eyeballs.

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