Ganesha in Multiple Forms

Ganesha, symbolic of new beginnings, success, wisdom and generosity is worshipped on Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival that reveres the elephant God. The ten-day festival is celebrated starting on the fourth day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month Bhadrapada, which typically falls in the months of August or September.

S.G.Vasudev, 31cms x 31cms, Relief in copper

The festival is marked with installation of Ganesha clay idols in homes, or in public spaces on elaborate pandals. It ends on the tenth day after start, wherein the idol is carried in a public procession with music and group chanting, then immersed in a nearby water body such as a river or ocean, thereafter the clay idol dissolves and Ganesha is believed to return to Mount Kailasha to Parvati and Shiva (source - Wikipedia)

With greater environmental awareness, there is an emphasis on eco-friendly materials  to minimise pollution of water bodies.

As the festival marks Ganesha's birthday, and celebrates him as the god of good beginnings, prosperity and obstacle remover, he is worshipped across the country with equal fervour during festivals, rituals and other celebrations.

Bangalore Launch: 'Intelligent Field' by Surendra Kumar Sagar

'Intelligent Field' 

a new book by Surendra Kumar Sagar

'Intelligent Field` is Surendra Kumar Sagar's second book on science and philosophy with a similar objective as his first book 'SIX WORDS'  which aims to establish a model of philosophy that can lead towards convergence of religion with science to end conflicts and wars.

In Silence the Secret Speaks by Seema Kohli

The Golden Web

By 

Anjana Chandak

Anjana Chandak responds evocatively to the narrative performance by artist Seema Kohli, held recently at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Bengaluru.

Poetry is not when you find a word rhyming with a word but poetry is created when you can find a word rhyming exactly with your feeling…And this is what artist Seema Kohli, who donned the cap of poetess made me feel, performing her poetic narration, ‘In Silence the Secret Speaks...’

The mirror pool at the NGMA provided the perfect womb to nurture the spirit of the artist who merged with the art through her own reflection. She transcended her paintings into verbal form through her palette of myriad emotions, painting it line by line; creating and narrating.

Reasons To Visit The 2017 Venice Biennale

Reasons To Visit The 2017 Venice Biennale

by 

Shraddha Rathi

Contemporary artist, Shraddha Rathi shares her experience from her recent visit to the Venice Biennale and discovers how this international art exhibition combines the performing and visual arts in an ideation lab to create an ambience that involves all the senses.

La Biennale de Venezia, the 57th international art exhibition titled ‘Viva Arte Viva’ curated by Christine Macel celebrates art, artists and the process of creation. Although, contemporary art documents and captures today's reality, the world itself is transforming and evolving with every passing moment. At this exhibition too, at times the exhibits reflect facts and reality, or give voice to a purpose, while at other moments it just celebrates the present.

This Biennale is mostly about an idea, where the material is a powerful medium of expression. The inventive use of materials to express an idea while playing with its strengths creates expansive, ingenious and successful forms of communication. In a cornucopia of materials, you experience a vast variety ranging from glass, bone, concrete, metal, wood, coffee and a whole lot of textile based works, apart from paintings, photographs and videos.

Art and the Question of Authorship and Ownership in the Internet Era

 Art and the Question of Authorship and Ownership in the Internet Era

by  

Narendra Raghunath

In this article, Narendra Raghunath, visual artist and faculty, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore draws on personal experience and discusses the complexities of authenticity, authorship and ownership rights of art and the 'image' in the contemporary art world.

A couple of years ago, I received an odd request from an unknown person in New York, to authenticate two works of mine. The work looked like mine, except it had some colour fading. It also had my name on the left bottom part in English, as I often write. The only problem was I had no Idea of such a sale or transfer. On further inquiry, I learnt that he sourced the work from a struggling Indian art student. During those days, if anyone would image search my work, Google strangely enough, showed a popular Hollywood actress’s name! This Indian student smartly used that opportunity and somehow managed to convince this poor chap that this actress was a big collector of my work.

During that period, I also had a website where I occasionally published some of my explorations with the caption that ‘none of the works are for sale’. This smart student utilized all these to his advantage to fleece this investor – for a cool $4,800 - for the downloaded prints. But, once the collector began to have doubts about the signature in the authentication letter, he contacted me for verification. The entire episode filled me with mirth. I informed the buyer that there was a colour issue with the print and offered to send him a new set of prints of the same works with my pencil signature (courier costs to be borne by the collector). He happily agreed, and as I did not want the Indian student to get caught in a serious crime in the US, I left it that.

This entire episode provoked me into a deep philosophical question of authenticity of authorship and ownership of an artwork. History of art is filled with stories where the artists and their families died in poverty while their work, later on, made many others billionaires.