Whitefield Art Collective back with sixth edition

The Whitefield Art Collective opens its sixth edition in the city following a two-year break

Starting this weekend, the city will see a blitz of artwork by students and established artists, spread over the VR Bengaluru campus. Titled ‘A Fine Balance,’ the show curated by Sumi Gupta and supported by the Yuj Arts Foundation, centres around the relationship between man and Nature, with a special emphasis on climate change and sustainability.

Divya S, one of the organisers of the art festival, says this is the sixth edition of the festival and the first following the lockdown. “The festival was six months in the making; we wanted to give everyone ample time to get their work ready. Since we were working with students too, we wanted to give them the chance to plan their pieces.”

According to Divya, the success of previous editions plus word-of-mouth support, corralled participation for the art community. Collectives such as ArtFlute and Synesthesia as well as institutions like Chitra Kala Parishath, Sristi Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology and other art schools around the city have sent in installations made by their patrons and students in keeping with the theme, she says.

Over a 100 paintings, photos, installations and other works of art focussing on man’s coexistence with Nature will be on display for a month at the venue. The event will also see a celebration of culture with events such as a poetry workshop with The Alipore Post, a young artist program and much more in the fields of theatre, fashion and dance.

Some of the artists displaying their work this year include Maria Antony Raj, Saravana D, Ezhilarasan Ezhumale, Gita Hudson and Nithin Sadhu. A retrospective of the late artist Yusuf Arakkal will also be on display from February 18 to 25.

There will be an art cinema on March 2 and an art bazaar from March 4 to 12.

The sixth edition of the Whitefield Art Festival will be held between February 18 and March 18 at VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Main Road. For updates on festival events and activities follow @vrbengaluru and @whitefieldartcollective on Instagram.