AFRESHDAWN A NEW LIFE FOR ARTS IN INDIA’S EAST THE OPENING OF THE KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY AIMS TO MERGE DIFFERENT ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES UNDER ONE ROOF AND SHOWCASE INDIA’S VIBRANT ARTS SCENE
by Archana Khare-Ghose IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
58 | BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 The gift shop on the second floor of the Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 | 59 Emami Art chief executive officer and head of Kolkata Centre for Creativity, Richa Agarwal with her husband Aditya IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
60 | BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY K movement ininteriordesign the country, who Patel, knownforpioneeringthe “IndiaModern” space forEmamiArt.Itisdesigned byPinakin ft (approx.929sqm)isthepremier gallery (approx. 6,500sqm),ofwhich10,000 over anareaofapproximately70,000sqft landscape ofcontemporaryIndia,”isspread its foundersasthe“championofcultural headquartered inthecity. Thecenter, calledby Group; thelatterisanFMCGconglomerate the city’s largest)that belongstotheEmami Kolkata’s long-establishedculturalspaces(also in makingthecityapreferredartsdestination. interactive artscenter—thatwillgoalongway for Creativity(KCC)—amultidisciplinary the citysawlaunchofKolkataCentre subcontinent. OnNovember21lastyear, the reckoninginculturalraceof names, Kolkatamayactuallygetbackinto minted billionairesandevenoldestablished being foundedacrossthecountrybynewly country. first righttobecalledtheculturalcapitalof of animateddesk-thumping—onthecity’s argument —overteaandwithagoodmeasure purists inthiseasternmetropoliscanstillwinan cultural repertoireofIndiaissoimmensethat after Independence,butitscontributiontothe lost thatclaimtoMumbaiandDelhigradually KCC is the latest baby of Emami Art, one of KCC isthelatestbabyofEmamiArt,one Given thenewwaveofculturalinstitutions cultural capital of India. It cultural capitalofIndia.It christened it,wastheoriginal of CalcuttaastheBritish many byitsformername olkata, stillreferredtoby based design engineer based designengineer 2018 London Design 2018 LondonDesign London- andAthens- Greece’s entry to the Greece’s entrytothe “Disobedience” was “Disobedience” was her “Disobedience” her “Disobedience” Nassia Inglessis, of Nassia Inglessis,of installation at KCC. installation atKCC. Studio INI, inside Studio INI,inside Biennale. Biennale. Works at the Exhibition Space at
Kolkata Centre for Creativity. CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
62 | BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 AFRESHDAWN
The Dashrath Patel exhibition at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity. IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 | 63 Decorative art works on display at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity. IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
64 | BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 A design work at the Exhibition Space of Contemporary Culture at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
is also KCC’s creative director now. The KCC is headed by the Emami Group director and the Emami Art chief executive officer Richa Agarwal. Besides Emami Art, KCC features an exhibition space to showcase art, craft, antiquity and product design, a conservation studio, a skill development maker section and an exhaustive library. The inaugural show at Emami Art at KCC is an exhibition titled “School.” It is the first-ever solo exhibition of the late Indian modernist, Dashrath Patel (1927-2010), a sculptor and designer who was also the first secretary of India’s premier design school, the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. Curated by Pinakin Patel, the exhibition features Dashrath Patel’s line drawings, ceramics, collages and photography from the 1930s to 2000s. A contemporary of well-known Modern masters such as Tyeb Mehta, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza and V.S. Gaitonde, Dashrath Patel collaborated with several international figures such as the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, the architects Louis Kahn and Frei Otto, and the engraver William Hayter, to name a few. On the occasion of the launch of KCC and its inaugural exhibition, the center’s head Richa Agarwal spoke to BLOUINSHOP on a range of topics.
How and when did the idea for an art center of this scale come about and when did you get involved in it? Through collecting art over the last decade, my desire to nurture and promote creative talent from the region and internationally has grown and developed. Opening a permanent IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY KOLKATA EMAMI ART, IMAGE COURTESY:
BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 | 65 A 66 FRESH | BLOUIN SHOP JANUARY 2019 “It isimportantthattheKolkata Centrefor within thecultural sceneof thecountry... ” Creativity finds its own individual space Creativity finds itsownindividualspace DAWN Creativity. Kolkata Centrefor on displayatthe A Bidriartwork Emami Art. program attheKolkataCentreforCreativity and individual is waytoforeshadowtheforthcoming showcasing aspectrumoftalentsfromone ceramics andmore.Openinganexhibition disciplines —fromphotography, collageto work encompassesagreatrange of creative Patel, whohasalsocuratedtheexhibition. His late DashrathPatelwasafriendofPinakin Known asIndia’s “RenaissanceMan,” the Patel’s retrospectivetolaunchKCC? Was thereaspecificreasonforchoosingDashrath the distinct spaces in KCC. we hopethereisavibrantdynamicthroughout different artisticdisciplinesunderoneroof, bring ourcollectivevisionto life. Bymerging 2014. Since then, we haveworkedtogether to Patel as architect andcreativedirectorin five yearsago, with the appointment ofPinakin the centerwerereallyputintomotionaround and for creativepeople to connect.Plansfor space to broaden conversations about creativity has beenadreamproject. It providesa space suchastheKolkataCentreforCreativity
IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY IMAGE COURTESY: EMAMI ART, KOLKATA CENTRE FOR CREATIVITY hope tobroadenwhatart institutions are for thelocalareaandwiderworld. We center providesalargearrayof facilities Conservation StudioandEmami Art,the as theChildren’s Corner, ExhibitionSpace, different spaceshousedwithinKCC,such experience forallwhovisit.Throughthe institution, thatoffersacreativelearning and establishesitselfasanopencultural within theculturalsceneofcountry Creativity finds its ownindividualspace It isimportantthattheKolkataCentrefor cultural sceneofthecountry? visualize KCCfittingitselfin,inthegeneral the country. Inthiscontext,whatspacedoyou role ofnurturingtherichculturalheritage them theaddedresponsibilityoftakingon than thestate-runbodies.Thathasalsogiven private museums/galleries/artinstitutesrather exciting artinitiativesinIndiahavecomefrom In the past few decades, some of the most In thepastfewdecades,someofmost areas in human culture. The center aims to areas inhumanculture.Thecenter aimsto philosophical questionsaboutimportant with creativity, withaudiencesbeingasked opportunity toparticipateinaliving dialogue Through theExhibitionSpace,visitorshavean such astheMaterialLibraryonfifthfloor. region, allowing accesstoour resources visits fromeducationalgroupsacrossthe to evolve. We will encourage andhost coming monthsourserviceswillcontinue It istheearlydaysforKCC, and overthe address theseissues? Could youshareifKCChasaspecificprogramto suffered neglectoverthepastseveraldecades. discourse aresomeareasinIndianartthathave Scholarship/rigorous archivingandacademic experience. audiences aholisticandcomprehensiveart the possibilities whilst offering ourlocal defined as,andprovideaplatformfor
design objects. to internationallysignificantcraft and will rangefromtraditionalIndian artisans, Jogen Chowdhury. Other displays across KCC Ravinder Reddy, BoseKrishnamachariand specific highlightswillincludeexhibitionsby established andemergingtalent. Some through presentingsomeofIndia’s leading and newexperiencestoouraudiences, forward tobringingfourstimulatingexhibitions with oneanother. Across2019,welook international andnationalartistsindialogue showcase Modern andContemporary artfrom Art, “TheWorld isMyFamily,” will The next exhibition planned forEmami 2019 program? Could yousharesomeofthehighlightsKCC’s on varioustopics. year, offeringawindowintogeneral opinion eventually publishtheresultsonlineevery
F BLOUINSHOP JANUARY 2019 Kolkata Centre for Kolkata Centrefor on display at the on displayatthe Bidri art works Bidri artworks | 67 Creativity.