Kolkata is hosting for the first time the global art biennial in which over 200 art works from four continents are on display.
Named the "Calcutta Art Biennial", the 13-day art show, which began on April 7, is being attended by 50 artists from UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Senegal, Uganda, Qatar and the US.
Convenor of the "Calcutta Art Biennial", Manas Roy said, "Licensed by the 'European Art Society of London' the Biennial in our very own city is a unique melting pot of different styles and colours."
Russian artist Katrina, who has come with her Goa-inspired canvas, said, "I have a mixed Indian culture in my roots. My stay in Goa recently helped me draw a canvas of a girl."
The Russian artist, who before coming to Kolkata had attended the Dubai Art show, said, "My experience in Kolkata has been very good. In our country there is a substantial influence of Bollywood on the popular culture, and if we all understand our roots the spirit of art can be understood."
Poet Subodh Sarkar appreciated the fact that the 'City of Joy' had its won biennial now and said that he had been to several such biennials abroad.
Talking about art and poetry, the poet pointed out a problem faced in the transliteration of poetry, "While artists, painters, sculptors converse in the same language of art all over the world, in poetry we have to depend on translations at world poetry meets where the meaning of the original may be lost in the transliterations into several other languages."
Painter Fouad Al Emadi from UAE said, "I see my work here as a combination between east and west".
Delhi-based artist Anuradha Sarin Khurana said her form of installation and canvas painting mix is drawn from the hardship faced by the poor flower-growers of Mallickghat after their installations were burnt a few years back.
Art works of masters like Nandalal Bose, Ramananda Bandopadhyay, John Wieser, Wasim Kapoor among the contemporary big names will be on display at the show in the Birla Academy till April 19.
The word biennial is used to describe major global art exhibitions. It was first held in 1895 in Venice and it was known as "Venice Biennial".
