Krishnamachari Bose, well-known artist, talked about some of his important recent images. He presented to the viewer a transposition of images/icons that function as metaphors addressing an entire culture, its multiplicity of thought processes and its eclectic relocations. His work is augmented by a conscious understanding of contemporary pluralistic culture, and carries a variety of referenee points, criss-crossing disciplines (including literature and design) and time periods.

a) Monet (Col. 53 mins.)

b) Alphonse Mucha (Col. 30 mins.)

The discussion centered on the history of manufacturing and industry that has shaped the identity of Mumbai city. Sudhir Patwardhan will exhibit slides of his paintings that depict mills and surrounding neighbourhoods, and will share insights into his creative responses. Shekhar Krishnan will share some of his photography of the mills and docks in central Mumbai, accompanied by a discussion on the social and spatial transformations in the city’s industrial landscapes.

In the course of the talk, senior artist, Navjot Altaf took a look at some of her own site-specific works created in collaboration with adivasi artists in Kondangaon village, Bastar district, Chhattisgarh. Erected around public water installations, these works raise critical questions about the necessary involvement of art initiatives in public service causes. What are the possibilities of collaboration between artists from different cultural backgrounds? And what are the problems? The slide presentation and lecture addressed some of these issues.

Caravaggio is one of Europe’s most influential painters. His art is as striking as his life story. Girish Shahane spoke about the main themes in Caravaggio’s paintings; his innovative style, including the use of chiaroscuro; the relationship of his work to his homosexuality; and the impact of his art which continues to be felt even today.

Gieve Patel, well-known painter and writer, talked about some important recent images in the works of Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Jitish Kallat and Sudhir Patwardhan. He will explore the implications of these images in the context of, among other things, public and `private’ art.

The talk attempted to look critically at some of the newer forms, styles and genres of contemporary Indian Art and suggest ways of understanding the continuing importance of some of our diverse traditional art practices and perspectives.

The workshop conducted by Dipalle V. Edwankar explored and extended creative potential through an integration of the performing arts with the fine arts. The aim to tap into the primal human need to create, express, explore and build an enduring relationship with one’s creative talent.

K.G. Subramanyam is the most articulate as well as the most playful artist among the contemporary Indian painters. Five decades of his presence as an artist, teacher, designer and writer continues to have reaching implication that demands an attentive response. His work, done in different mediums, move, with great ease between modes of irony and compassion. They make subtle use of both local and non-local resources and generate energetic delight in the viewer.

Shital Mehta and Purnima Sampat are art educators. They have conducted several successful workshops on art appreciation as also on different cultures. Their approach is to expose the participants to the multidimensional aspects of the subject and then apply them to contemporary context. The duo is also invited later this year by lnternational Society for Education Through Art (INSEA) to present a paper on Art Education in a convention to be held in New York.

The slide talk by Bharati Kapadia explored two images from ancient Indian cultire: the sound mantra ‘Aum’ and ‘Sri Yantra’. The talk highlights the connection between the outer forms of the images and the inner realization from which they evolve. The concluding part of the talk featured the selected slides of her work done between 1991 and 2001.

a) Louvre the visit (Col. 60 mins.)

b) Monet’s Garden at Giverny (Col. 50 mins.)

Convener : Prashant Parikh January 29 : Texts : Types of Writing, The Role of Knowledge, The Issue of Ciarity. January 30 : The World : Writers and Readers, The Larger Context, Summarization of Positions. Speakers: Yashodhara Dalmia, Jitish Kallat, Geeta Kapur, Nalini Malani, Hans Mathew, Prabodh Parikh, Gieve Patel, Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Geeti Sen, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Nilima Sheikh, Kavita Singh, and Vivan Sundaram