Wow Space

It has been set up by Christopher Benninger and Ramprasad Akkisetti as a work-and-residential space for the design studio for Christopher Charles Benninger Architects (CCBA),and as a cultural space to appreciate art. The complex has two main buildings — the residential area and the design studio and art gallery.

One might imagine that the gallery,located in the basement,would be small and dank. But,the descent into the gallery reveals a well of space,with a 25 ft-high ceiling. This is the “wow space” according to Akkisetti. “Every gallery needs a wow space. This corner is the first thing you see,and it is so big,you immediately feel humbled. How a gallery makes you feel also affects how you view the art inside,” he says.

Elsewhere in the gallery,the ceiling dips to about 12 ft,which is still high enough to give the entire space an airy and open feeling. The white walls make for a quiet and non-intrusive backdrop for the artwork,while the flooring uses black Kadappa stones. Traditionally used as footpath material in Andhra Pradesh,Kadappa stones have been polished to look like granite in the gallery.

Apart from the viewing area,the gallery also includes an audio-visual (AV) room for lectures,presentations and workshops,as well as a film room to exhibit docu-films and more. Opposite the AV room is an art studio that has been built for visiting artists. The gallery plans to host domestic and international artists in the complex,where they can live,work and share ideas with an audience.

Akkisetti says the number of exhibitions will be limited to about six a year,so that he has time to curate the selections and organise each exhibition to the artist’s specification. Currently,the gallery is displaying the travelling exhibition,“Desh Ki Awaaz”,an irreverent collection that looks at the modern Indian psyche.

“This is not a place to display regular paintings of leaves and gods. Every exhibition here will force you to think and question yourself,your surroundings and even art,” he says.