Jan. 9: A golden jubilee is an occasion for celebration because such an event is the hallmark of longevity and endurance. Birla Academy of Art and Culture, one of Calcutta's pioneering galleries, is in its fiftieth year of existence. The BAAC will be hosting its 50th Annual Exhibition as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations.
The exhibition, which was inaugurated today by Rajya Sabha member Karan Singh, has been divided into a format that will be familiar to exponents and lovers of art. It comprises a curated show, featuring the works of over 60 senior artists.
Titled The Golden Bough - conceptualised and curated by Johny M.L. - the exhibition includes art works by Aditya Basak, Atul Dodiya, Baiju Parthan, Ganesh Haloi, Hiran Mitra, Jayashree Chakravarty, Jogen Chowdhury, K. Laxma Goud, Lalu Prasad Shaw, K.G. Subramanian, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Manu Parekh, Ramananda Bandyopadhyay, among other artists. The occasion being a golden jubilee, the choice of the title of the exhibition is quite apt. The curatorial note also suggests that one of the objectives of the endeavour is to "connect... modern contemporary art with the grand traditions of visual arts in India".
As in previous years, a competitive section of mixed works has been included as well. The works of young artists - 153 is their number - have been chosen for this particular segment. The annual exhibition, the organisation of which was described as a yajna by a gallery official, would be open for viewing till February 9.
An exhibition of such a scale brings in its wake several challenges. Not all of these are necessarily logistical. But the BAAC has passed this stern test each year. In the process, the gallery has lived up to its commitment to serve as a crucial platform to promote both art and artists from all over the country. The vision of the BAAC's founder-patrons, B.K. Birla and Sarala Birla, lives on through the initiative that is considered to be one of the most important events in Calcutta's art calendar.
But the challenges faced by a gallery of BAAC's stature go beyond the nitty-gritty of hosting an annual exhibition. The art market - this holds true for Calcutta in particular - is not immune to fluctuations, thereby jeopardising the future of many a new artist. The established galleries are also having to contend with competition from social media and the digital world. Fly-by-night galleries, which are more interested in commerce than art, have also sullied the reputation of such institutions.
The challenges notwithstanding, the sustained interest in the BAAC's annual exhibition, not just in the art fraternity but also among ordinary viewers, holds out the assurance of continuity even in these decidedly uncertain times.
