For a month, starting today (Sunday), the VR Punjab, from its regular art gallery on the upper ground floor, down to the basement walls, and the outdoor landscape, has been converted into an extensive showcase, exhibiting 300-plus art installations, sculptures, paintings, and photographs, by young and talented art students and other artists from the region.
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The installations are the works of students from Chandigarh University and Chitkara University, and contributions from the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, Sanskar Bharti Foundation, and other senior individual artists.
The Basement Art Project displays the works of artists from G.A.S.P., a group of visual & graphic artists building art on a platform where it is valued & accessible to all.
Curated under the Punjab Art Initiative, this third annual edition of the Public Art Festival is supported by Yuj Arts Foundation. This year’s theme, ‘Transcending Boundaries,’ inspires artists to create innovative artworks and sculptures that reflect their vision, imagination, and artistic talents, Ms. Sumi Gupta, curator of the Punjab Art Initiative, said on Sunday afternoon while briefing the media.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema inaugurated the festival in the evening with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony and unveiling of the ‘Kala Car’, created in collaboration with the multidisciplinary artist Chitwan Singh Nanda, whose work is inspired by tradition and heritage.
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Artist Chitwan Singh Nanda has recently set a world record by creating the largest-ever linguistic and agricultural representation of a state, using indigenous grains to showcase Punjab’s rich cultural heritage.
The formal inauguration was followed by an entertaining folk music performance, a live sand art show titled ‘The Timeless Journey of Art’, by Cannes 2015 nominee and Asia’s Got Talent S1 semi-finalist Nitish Bharti and a musical performance by Anmol Salh of Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame.
The inaugural evening also featured a live ‘Raga Mala’ miniature painting session by Anubhav Som, illustrating Indian musical ragas. Complementing this was an interactive live painting workshop by 15 student artists from Chandigarh university.
Over the next month, VR Punjab will transform into a hub of artistic celebration, with installations, fine art, photography, exhibitions, workshops, young artists competition, art cinema screening, and an artisanal bazaar.
Under initiatives, such as the Artist Mentorship Program, emerging talent will be provided opportunities to learn from established professionals.
Sumi Gupta further shared that the festival is a dynamic convergence of diverse artistic expressions, talents, and projects. From Kadambari Misra’s powerful “Iconic Women Project”, that highlights the unsung female icons of history through photography and storytelling, to immersive works in abstract art, the event offers a profound exploration of creativity and heritage.
Additionally, art displays by Padma Shri Shyam Sharma, Prof. Bheem Malhotra, Prof. Ranjan Mallik, Gurmeet Goldie and Prof. Ashima Banker contribute a spectrum of styles and perspectives, enriching the festival with their unique creations.
The Punjab Literature Festival is set to be one of the prominent highlights of the festival, featuring a distinguished lineup of authors for the audience to connect with. Among them are Sahitya Akademi and Mira Award-winning writer Shri Nand Kishore Acharya, Yash Bharti Award-winning author Khushbir Singh Shaad, and celebrated authors like Durjoy Dutta and Dr. Ishinna Sadana, Ms Gupta added.
