As part of the eighth edition of Mumbai Gallery Weekend that kickstarts today, a secret trail will introduce attendees to diverse art spaces and artworks
Nishita Zachariah talks to attendees at Natvar Bhavsar's exhibition at the Delhi Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda
For those who travel overseas, their first instinct is to walk into an art gallery. But this is something we forget in Mumbai," says art historian Nishita Zachariah, and we concur - with images of our Instagram feed hitting our head. We do fail to understand how entering The Louvre or The Guggenheim turns tourists into art aficionados but when it comes to a gallery in the neighbourhood, only a percentage of those visitors would bat an eye.
Maybe it's because not appreciating things close to home is a glorified trope in popular culture. But Zachariah, along with local historian Alisha Sadikot, has been on a mission to bridge this gap and get people to explore modern and contemporary art in the city's premier galleries through the initiative, Art Walks Mumbai since 2017.
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This Sunday, the duo in collaboration with travel company Trip 360, will organise the first art walk of the year and the agenda... is a secret they absolutely won't be tempted to reveal. The Mumbai Gallery Weekend starts today with 28 spaces showcasing more than 50 artists. And the secret art walk promises to introduce you to four diverse galleries in Colaba exhibiting diverse works. All you have to do is register, and on the evening prior to the walk, you will receive an email with details of where to arrive - the other places still undisclosed. "Most people tend to perceive a gallery as a white cube. We'll be highlighting how each space is different and how the art trajectory has changed over time. For instance, TARQ exhibits the work of young artists, DAG showcases works that they're trying to sell, while what the Clark House Initiative does is quite unusual. The latter is closing down next month, which is sad because it is one of our favourite spaces to visit," shares Zachariah.
Recalling his first art walk with the duo, Shaun D'souza of Trip 360 who is also a Colaba resident, says, "I've spent my childhood in the area but I was quite suprised to see TARQ for the first time. Now, it's become a ritual to visit. You realise that there are different perspectives to an art piece." And Zachariah and Sadikot also bring in their knowledge of materials and process to the table. "We know many of these artists personally.
So, for instance if an artist's educational background has fed into their work, we'll be able to talk about that. With regard to process, many people discard printmaking as a technique because they only see it as reproduction, but we'll be delving into the minute details," Zachariah says.
Shaun D'souza
With 25 limited slots, Zachariah mentions that the walk welcomes a diverse audience - even when it can range between two to three hours. "We've had retired persons join us, fathers and daughters, and for our first walk of the year, we'll be having a six-year-old kid onboard who will be coming with her parents. A lot of participants then pick their favourites on the walk. So, it's nice to dig into a bit of history without being too intense," she assures.
ON: January 20, 11 am to 1.30 pm
AT Colaba.
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