Heights of creativity

With over 200 artrelated biennales an event happening every two years being held globally Pune isnrsquot far behind The city is currently hosting a grassrootsoriented event that began on January 11 and will continue till January 21 Called Mohor this first edition of the Pune Biennale aims to promote creative talent across arts design cinema architecture sculpture environmental awareness and performing arts with the intent to make art more accessible to the public through various participatory activities The theme of the inaugural edition is Celebrating Hills of Pune since hills give the city a distinct geographical and cultural identity and occupy a significant public space in the city A giant puppet by Pratik Bhattacharya People power The Biennale includes exhibitions and interactive sessions between artists and the public There are sitespecific installations in public spaces and shows in galleries and halls This apart films installations sculptures new media and performance art are also underway Local artists will promote appreciation of arts through dialogue with the audience along with talks seminars screeningsu00a0music workshops and educational activities Dr Kiran Ajit Shinde Executive Director of the Pune Biennale and Principal of Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture adds ldquoNearly 200 artists have come together for this event The Pune Municipal Corporation PMC has also made several public venues available to us thanks to which there will be events at several venues simultaneously such as in the hilly areas of Pune at art galleries and city mallsrdquo A sculpture installation of a child Bottled tree installation The event was conceptualised by Dr Shinde and gradually several partners were roped in ranging from educational institutes to malls and galleries who voluntarily contributed and sponsored certain events or extended their venues for the event For the Pune edition Dr Shinde and his team of almost 150 people shortlisted various categories of events and drew upon their experience of visiting Biennales across the world Scorpion made from junk ldquoWe were keen on taking art out of studios and galleries and into public spaces While it was easy to get the artistes to support the concept the challenge was getting the logistics right and to achieve a common ground The event is for the people of the people and by the peoplerdquo he elaborates Why the Biennale Stressing the need for the Biennale Dr Shinde says that there was a need to address art and aesthetic visual elements in the city ldquoPune is regarded as the statersquos cultural capital as well as a student hub but the visual arts donrsquot get their due in comparison to performing arts Neither is there enough patronage for public art in the cityrdquo Shinde cites examples of cities in Europe where plazas and piazzas display art backed by state sponsorship He maintains that hills make for perfect spaces to host such events as they are also critical to the environment ldquoIt would be great if people envisioned hills river banks or old heritage edifices and other public spaces for such cultural and visual artsrelated eventsrdquo he reiterates A painting installation Wooden foliage Focus on art While the Pune Biennale is attempting to ensure that they reach out to a wider audience they are also focusing on not pedestrianising or diluting the art quotient ldquoThe Pune Biennale is an alternative forum that celebrates diversity We arenrsquot depending on any support to alleviate visual poverty Instead we are asking people across sections of society to witness the beauty of art in its many forms Among visitors wersquove had a fatherson duo drop by the exhibition where the father works as a coolie mdash this shows the extent of it being a success with interest from the massesrdquo summarises Dr Shinde till January 21 Log on to punebiennaleorg Entry Free How to get there gt Pune is connected by road and rail gt ROAD Drive down via the Mumbai Pune Expressway or take a shared taxi from the Mumbai Pune taxi stand at Dadar Alternatively regular bus services ply between both cities gt RAIL There are several Punebound trains that depart from Mumbai CST Dadar and Thane Log on to the Indian Railways website irctccoin for a detailed list of trains and their updated schedules How to move around Autos are your best bet to take you around the various venues of the Pune Biennale Hiring a private cab might also be a good idea to avoid extra stress of haggling over auto rates What to carry gt Light woollens gt Sturdy walking shoes since some of the venues are on hill tops gt Shades gt Sunglasses gt Adequate bottled drinking water gt Camera gt Binoculars to capture the stunning views of the city from the hills gt Light eatables Fact file While biennales are named after the city the Pune Biennale is named Mohur translates into mango blossoms and stamps to ensure the common man can relate to it Mustattend gt Dialogue on envisioning hills as public spaces January 18 at IUCAA gt Generation DDesign for School Students January 1920 at PL Deshpande Garden gt Eco walk January 19 Taljai gt Nature Yoga sessions January 19 Chaturshringhi gt Screening of short films January 19 Indradhanushya Environment Centre gt Graffiti wall painting and sketching January 19 Chaturshringhi gt Folk orchestra and folk dance January 19 Taljai gt Macro photography workshop January 19 Taljai gt Sculpture talk on knowing the hills January 19 Parvati gt Arts and crafts bazaar January 19 Malaka Spice Koregaon Park gt Floating sky lanterns January 20 Taljai Entry Free though prior registration is necessary for certain sessionsu00a0