A space for art

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “You know, music, art - these are not just little decorations to make life prettier. They’re very deep necessities which people cannot live without.” Pablo PicassoThe city of Thiruvananthapuram seems to have woken up to this art truism lately. The native town of the princely painter, Raja Ravi Varma, has never shown as healthy an appetite for art as witnessed in the past few years. Homes fit to be called mansions and flats that house miniature universes within them now sport art on their walls due to some intrigue that involves aesthetics, economics and vanity. The number of private art galleries in the city has grown by leaps and bounds to house almost half-a-dozen within the busy alleys of the fledgling metro.  Artist B D Dathan, who co-founded Suryakanthi Art Gallery at Vazhuthacaud - one of the first of the lot to come up around twelve years back - says that the local art scene reflected the changes in a larger canvas when the country’s economy shifted to the top gear. “The practise of buying art was still not fashionable in Thiruvananthapuram when we started the gallery under the aegis of former Chief Secretary Lissie Jacob. We could barely sustain the establishment with the revenue received as the gallery’s share when a work of art was sold,” he remembers. “But in the last four or five years, the scene changed considerably with the public buying up art as investment and for home décor. The other major customer base that came up around the same time was big hotels who opened business here. Designers with international experience began to pick up paintings in lieu with the interior design trends all over the world,” he says. Suryakanthi sold a series of paintings to an international interior designer to deck up Taj Vivanta in Kovalam. Leaf Art Gallery, opened around eight years ago at Nanthencode, had a stint of dormant days when its founder S M Renju met with an accident. The gallery has opened doors again to host young artists as well as established names. The artist entrepreneur says that  they could feature many noted artists like Paris Mohan Kumar who were known only outside India. One of the major reasons behind his decision to start a gallery was the lack of opportunity for well-established Malayali artists to showcase their work in the capital city, says Renju who spent a few years in Delhi as a journalist. “During those days, I interacted with artists and art collectors and learned that many of the well-known names in the art scene were Malayalis.” Renju says that galleries should promote genuine artists which is very crucial for fine art to become popular among the public. “We have constituted a panel comprising senior artists and art teachers who screen requests for exhibitions. This helps us promote genuine talents, especially upcoming artists.”Latha Kurien Rajeev, an art historian by profession, had been on the lookout for the right space to set up a gallery in the city for more than fifteen years before she zeroed in on a traditional house in the Musuem Bains Compound. “I was on the lookout for a scenic ambiance that would set the mood for a artist indulgence. But, the concept of the zero space is very important in a gallery. So, it had to be devoid of embellishments on the inside that would steal the attention of the onlooker from the works of art,” says Latha, who has perfected the landscape around her gallery to resemble a picture postcard. “The aspect of business is there in the background when you set up a private gallery. But, for me, it is more like going on a tour to a beautiful place when you just want to enjoy the sights; you are not going there to buy the place. A gallery is also about being able to celebrate art,” she says. The scenic element about a gallery space was the top most priority when artist Sajitha Shanker opened Gouri Art amidst the wilderness of Kallar. Workshops and interactions are held on a regular basis at Gouri Art even as Sajitha spearheads a new venture in the city. Creant Art Gallery at Sasthamangalam is not exactly her dream space, she says.  “Gallery is not always a closed space. It also consists of large open spaces which allow display of art,” says Sajitha, who has held exhibitions in Frankfurt, London and Sweden. Energy Art Gallery, opposite Raj Bhavan, and owned by Sudheer P K, is the latest to show up on the map of the city. More are in the offing, if the painting on the wall is to be believed!