Spaced Out

BJ: You feel better?

Sidney: Yeah, I think I do a little bit. It's like spring at MASH. If you can't find it, can't feel it, you just go ahead and make it. Somewhere in here [tapping his chest] I'm coaxing a little bud to grow.

-M*A*S*H, Season 5

Yesterday I went to this photo exhibition at Max Mueller Bhavan. Art, Space and the City is being held in collaboration with the Bengalooru habba. It showcases the works of six city-based photographers. The theme was to be “on art and culture in the public spaces of Bangalore”. Though the brochure claims that the photographers set about to explore how far spaces in Bangalore can be deemed public in the sense of more or less uninhibited access – not all the works are of common spaces that everyone can relate to.

“Celebration” – Clare Arni
About six or seven photos of celebrations like arrangements for a Kavadi, walking on fire embers at an Amman temple, a hoarding of Mother Teresa that shines eerily under the string of fairy lights, a procession (for eunuch rights I think). Neatly captured bright shots, out of everyday. Not really everyday, but the pics are all relatable plus very much with the theme.

“Meet You There” – Vivek M
The artist talks about how time & people influence the way buildings and neighborhoods appear to one. This struck a chord. His works were amongst the ones that are to me very Bengaloor.

“Artists on the Street” - Vinayak Das
Looks into the life of a group of artisans from Rajasthan who live on the streets, earn their living by making wooden statues and other decorative items. Reminded me of innumerable such people one sees on the way to work everyday – opposite to the Sunshine Parking near Forum, near the Roman Catholic cemetery. There are actually lives right on the streets, under makeshift huts out of hoarding canvas.

There was Jyothy Karat’s “Performance Within”, Rudra Sharan’s something on the Turf Club, Vivek Singh’s “Bangalore_Spaces and Beyond”. To me, they were AlsoTheres. Some neat photographs, nothing special to write about these in general. Nothing to write about on a bored/tired Sunday afternoon.