Achievers
Books
Business
Calendar
Community
Controversy
Cuisine
Eateries
Education
Enterprise
Faith
Good Samaritans
Health
Infotech
Media
Memories
Movies
News Archives
Opinion
Specials
The Arts

Livin', breathin' India

Firdaus Ali

A unique exhibition on India in Quebec, Canada that opened on May 4 has become a major attraction for the way it explores India's vibrant art and ancient cultural traditions.

Entitled 'India - The Living Arts', the exhibition featuring more than 500 works of arts and craft series, attempts to bring India closer to the west. The exhibits include priceless historical pieces to ceramics and textiles, some of which are created on the spot. The visitor can see how jewellers, textile artists, potters, carvers and painters produce modern designs relying on ancient traditions.

"It would bring visitors and audiences face to face with the essence of India's cities, villages, palaces and homes," stated a press release from the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, which is presenting the event.

The show is the first ever-major exhibition of Indian art and craft presented in Canada.

"We are very pleased to celebrate a civilization which has remained so very vibrant and alive around the world and especially in Canada," said Dr Victor Rabinovitch, president and CEO of the corporation.

The year-long series, sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, will feature India's performing art and visual art traditions at different levels and in different stages of India's growth and evolution. It is co-sponsored by Nortel Networks and Bank of Montreal.

The exhibition will showcase the rich diversity of India's many artistic traditions through the many artefacts displayed in four settings: The City, The Village, The Home and The Court.

Each provides the backdrop for the display of various types of craft and artistry. Periodically, music, dance, drama and other animation enhance each setting, enveloping visitors in a culture with ancient roots that continue to influence and inform its modern reality.

Lively displays, performances, workshops and the exhibition's dazzling array of artefacts combine to create an interactive experience for museum visitors.

Sound and lighting effects set the mood in each setting, evoking everything from the rusticity of the village to the frenetic pace of an Indian city. The exhibition also offers an in-depth look at several of India's specific arts and crafts.

Scattered throughout the exhibition, 20 way stations examine individual artists and their crafts and are occasionally animated by an artist at work. Heralded by colourful banners, the way stations are a reminder that India's arts are living traditions that have endured for more than 2000 years.

The exhibition also features a life-size elephant carrying a maharajah's howdah, complete with trappings of scarlet and gold.

The exhibition would also introduce visitors to some top artists, musicians, dancers and singers. The big names include Michael Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry, Shyam Selvadurai and Rachna Gilmore.

A literary Rendezvous Series, courtesy Bank of Montreal, in collaboration with the National Library of Canada, will feature the best in contemporary south Asian film and literature. In the series of five literary readings planned, writers will explore themes and images inspired by their experiences in Canada and south Asia.

There are also fashion shows that will showcase the textile industry of India. In one section, 'A Traditional Wedding', visitors will also be invited to participate in preparations for a wedding.

"The Bank of Montreal has a long history of community involvement -- a tradition that's been a part of the organization's corporate culture for over 180 years," says Srini Iyengar, senior manager, East Asian Markets. The bank sponsors arts, cultural and educational programmes in communities across Canada. In collaboration with the Canada Council of Arts, Bank of Montreal has helped promote Canada's best literary talent through sponsorship of the governor-general's literary awards. The bank also sponsors the National Business Book Award, which recognizes outstanding talent in Canadian business writing.

'India - The Living Arts' will also feature others forms of Indian arts like yoga, mehndi demonstration and would hold workshop and demonstration in craft and other art forms.

The exhibition is open at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Quebec until February 18, 2001.

Previous: Indian shot dead in Arizona

Next: Hemophilia treatment could get cheaper

Tell us what you think of this report