AAW #201

CreativeYatra incessantly works to drive people to come out of their house and consume first-hand creativity by attending cultural events of the city.

The 201st Ahmedabad Art Weekly starts with one of the most significant art events in the city’s annual art calendar. Art 19 which is celebrating the 35 years of the establishment of Kanoria Centre for Arts is inviting stalwarts of creative industry including Pritzker laureate architect BV Doshi, art proponent Sangita Jindal, contemporary artist Jitish Kallat and Reena Kallat and Sonal Singh from Christie’s. The three-day celebration will be full of mindful discourses, enticing performances, electrifying art shows and creative workshops. 079 Stories is hosting yet another art show titled, ‘Eccentric’ which is a collection of mosaic art pieces created by Centre for Mosaic Art.

Can music be funny or comedy be melodious? Come to Natarani Amphitheatre and get your answers at the ‘Bedazzled by Beats & Wits’ performance where musician Viveick Rajagopalan and a group of witty  women of Mahila Manch will gather to give you a memoarable evening. Natarani is all happening this week as they also host a ‘Vachikam’ performance of life of legendary poet Narsinh Mehta, titled ‘Jagine Jou To’. Penned by Sahitya Akademi Award laureate poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra theatre actor Chintan Pandya will be performing the play.  If you are a creative head who has great short film ideas but is still in the process of matching the puzzle pieces, then come to The Ahmedabad Short Film Fest and learn the process of making, managing & producing short films while discussing with experts.

Women author and screenwriter Kaajal Oza Vaidya is all set to get interactive on this Women’s Day. The established Gujarat writer has written more than 56 books so far and also writes scripts for films and leading soap operas. Taste the centuries-old flavours residing in the walled city of Ahmedabad during the Sweets-heritage walk. The excursion, which starts from Swaminarayan Mandir at Kalupur, is a brilliant opportunity for photography enthusiasts of the city to capture the real essence Ahmedabad on the authentic heritage walk route of Ahmedabad. Artists and artisans have been borrowing creative inspiration from the father of the nation since decades. At the ‘Traditional Art Exhibition on Gandhi’ hosted at Sabarmati Ashram by EXIM Bank, will  showcase 12 different traditional forms of paintings that chronicles Bapu’s life and will throw a little light on the Gandhian values.

The man who started it all and is considered amongst the pioneers in the stand-up comedy scene, Vir Das is coming back to the city of Ahmedabad with his witty humour and absolutely original content. Enrich your evening with a Bharatnatyam performance by Revanta Sarabhai at the newly opened Mangalbag gallery. The recital will be an expression on human emotions, relationship and climate change.

The creative inspiration of the 201st AAW has been borrowed from Indian artist RD Raval. Born in a humble family background in the Sardoi village of Gujarat in 1928 the artist’s folk-inspired work is considered to be of significance. His work is preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and the Lalit Kala Akademi. Raval studied at Sir J. J. School of Art and his stylized figurative lines made his pictures easily accessible. He received support from  connoisseur Farokh Mulla which helped him in setting up a studio. Raval has received National level recognition for his body of work, sadly his work and contribution stays largely unnoticed in the contemporary scene.

Influenza is on rise in the city and we request Yatris to take proper precautions when outdoors. In case of any sign of infection, see your doctor and prefer to stay home.

Illustration : Nilesh Ramani