Whitefield Art Collective back in city for seventh edition

The seventh edition of the Whitefield Art Collective is back with amazing installations, interactive workshops and a host of fun activities

Almost every surface and space at VR Bengaluru seems to be awash with creativity. With installations on the floors and suspended over the atrium, as well as art on the walls, there is no mistaking the Whitefield Art Collective is back in the city.

Now in its seventh edition, the Whitefield Art Collective is part of the Public Arts Festivals started more than a decade ago by the not-for-profit Yuj Arts Foundation. According to Sumi Gupta, curator of the Public Arts Festivals, the focus of this event is student and emerging art.

Since 2013 the Public Art Festivals in collaboration with Virtuous Retail South Asia have hosted 22 art festivals across India, such as the Dumas Art Project in Surat, the Punjab Art Initiative in Punjab and Amritsar, the Madras Art Guild in Chennai, and the Nagpur Kala Sangh in Nagpur. 

“We collaborate with institutions because we feel students need a platform to showcase their work and it is rather difficult for them to engage with galleries or the larger art festivals as they are more exclusive,” says Sumi.

She adds that students from Chitrakala Parishad, The Bangalore Institute of Design and Bangalore University are a part of the festival this year which is themed, Transcending Boudaries.

“We encourage students to make installations or artworks based on a theme around which conversations can be had and shine a spotlight on issues that need to be addressed,” she says, adding that she thought the theme was apt since the concept of globally connections was a part of reality today.

With over 100 works of art on display, to say nothing of the workshops, sessions and stalls on the premises, every edition of the festival takes at least six months to execute.