Art, Technology & Talvin Singh Come To Bangalore

The sixth edition of Art Bengaluru will be inaugurated on Saturday, 21 August at Bangalore’s UB City. The festival, a mashup of visual and performing arts, experiential installations and even culinary arts will bring together a vast array of compelling creators, all working within a broader theme of 'Paradigm Shift', the festival’s focus this year, with a special emphasis on the role of technology in the creation of art. The work on display varies from the gender role deconstruction of Indu Antony’s drag king series to French video artist Nicolas Clauss’ recent examinations of the role of the individual in public space. Chinese artist Li Hongbo will exhibit his stunning and almost impossibly crafted paper sculptures.

“I tried to look at the theme of ‘change’, rather than 'paradigm shift’ itself,” says festival curator Suresh Jayaram, a Bangalore based artist and art historian. "If you look at contemporary art, you do not see great paradigm shifts happening as in the Kuhn perspective, but what I wish to convey, is involvement with artists in new media and materials, video installation, and site specific work."

The festival will also host a number of artist speaker sessions - we’re excited about Li Hongbo and Delhi based photographer Pablo Bartholomew - as well as workshops on theatre, instrument making, sushi making and, rather inexplicably, butterfly rearing.

In an effort to round out the festival, organizers have brought a few international musical acts in to start the party. Wild City readership will be excited to note that Asian Dub legend Talvin Singh will be performing on 28 August. Other performances, by Ukrainian progressive trance producer Omnia and Canadian EDM-pop duo Project 46 are sure to find fans in Bangalore, but seem like a strained selection for an arts festival likely to play host to a less mainstream crowd.

Art Bengaluru will take place from 21 - 30 August at UB Ciry and other venues. Have a look at the full schedule for Arts Bengaluru here on their website.

*Full disclosure: Art Bengaluru provided the author with transportation to the festival.*

Guest writer: Kerry Harwin
Images courtesy Art Bengaluru