Pitch for refining public taste

BUSINESS CLASS

The Lalit Kala Akademi was formed in 1954, "to preserve the glorious traditions of the past and enrich them by the work of modern artists." As President APJ Abdul Kalam said, "It must also seek to improve standards and refine public taste." The Akademi has played an important role in creating interest in the arts through its activities, especially, in its initial years.

However, over time, the Akademi has become one more government institution that is proud of its mediocrity. To mark its golden jubilee, the Akademi has organised an exhibition entitled "Resonance" which showcases works mainly from its own collection, giving us an insight into the grand vision of its founders, the passion with which its collection was initially acquired and the sad journey the Akademi has taken since then.

There is no doubt that "Resonance" is a commendable effort by the Akademi. The exhibition on freshly painted walls, with Deacon lighting, a decent catalogue and even accurate captions with dates seem to be much more than what we expect from a government institution.

The icing on the cake being the chance to see some of the works from the vast and, at one time spectacular, collection of the Akademi. The treasure was buried in its bunkers for decades.

Even though the exhibition is a bit partial towards the early Delhi school of painters, it gives the viewers a chance to see different periods of works of some artists like F N Souza, Arpita Singh, and KG Subramanyam.

It is probably not easy to curate an exhibition where one is compelled to showcase "one of each" but for diehard collectors, the show is must as one might not get to see these works for another 50 years.

The exhibition has two gorgeous Bhupen Khakhars, a Tyeb Mehta diagonal, a gestural Raza, and important works by Manjit Bawa, Ramachandaran and Manu Parekh that are completely out of public memory. Frankly, this is as good as it gets for the Akademi.

Even though the golden jubilee celebrations have proved to be a catalyst for documentation and restoration of works from the Akademi's collection, it is high time that the Akademi's top brass took the upkeep and security of its collection seriously.

The collection has been built by tax payers' money and is meant for public viewing. The authorities should allow scholars to access the collection and allow for imprint works to be lent for exhibitions. It should continue to invite curators to create exhibitions from works in its own collection on a regular basis and travel these shows to its five other centres.

The art scene has changed quite considerably in the past decade, let alone the last 50 years. The Akademi must redefine its vision if it needs to compete with private spaces and institutions like the Habitat Centre in Delhi. It should not see itself as a government institution but as an art institution.

Quite frankly, people do not have very many expectations from the Akademi, forget about "redefining" public taste (as the President had mentioned). For the moment, maybe, the hugely delayed coffee shop on the institute's premises will do.