Approach and explore European art with the help of technology, says Angela Paljor

love the vibrant canvasses of Vincent Van Gogh or the deeply sublime at works of Claude Monet. Go ahead savour art as never before with the traditional mode of exhibit being given a 3D screening.

Drifting Canvas,  is a joint initiative of Bengaluru-based art platform Esperienza and Russian art cluster ArtPlay has brought a multimedia exposition to India for the first time where 11 legendary art works by European artists from 18th and 19th century are up for you to see at Select Citywalk Mall. It is a perfect amalgamation of art and technology, where works of celebrated artists like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin and Henri Rousseau are animated and displayed on 13 different HD screens through 24 laser projectors while the neo-classical music compliments the mood. “It is 55 minutes of audio-visual extravaganza that a person can immerse oneself in and enjoy the art not as a static format that exists in a gallery rather in a format that is much more relaxing and easier to consume for the general public. Any person, who is not an art lover can be a part of this and enjoy it.” Aakshat Sinha, curator of Desi Canvas, an extension of Drifting Canvas.

There is a reason why there is a need for a transition in displaying of art from the traditional format to a 3D world, Manikantan Namboodiri, CEO,  The Drifting Canvas elaborates, “There are two set of audiences we cater to. There are people who love art and know a Monet from a Van Gogh. The exhibition gives them a chance to see art works that are featured in the best museums of the world at one  place as there are more than thousand odd works in audio-visual format. It provides them with an absolutely new experience. The second set of audience are not aware of these artists. It becomes an entry point for them into the world of art and is an easier way to learn. The challenge lies not in the transition but rather in getting the regular audience to come and see it.”

In India, the Drifting Canvas has introduced a slight change in their regular format. For the first time in twelve years, an exclusive space, Desi Canvas, has been given to the local artists under the umbrella of Drifting Canvas. “Since we are in India where different artists work on different art forms, we decided to curate eight different shows, which change every week. There are also 41 Indian artists who are displayed in specially designed, theme-based shows like Oorja, which  is women oriented show or textures for artists who use textures in forms and even identity. Each show is a complete experience for the people who walk in,” says Sinha.

He shares the process behind the well developed and complimenting works of art and the subsequent line of themes. “While I was conceptualising, not all the themes were finalised initially. I planned a few and approached the artists, while some evolved as I spoke to artists, only to find the themes that would be best to represent their work. So, it was a dual approach, either the themes came first and the artists were subsequently added or the list of artists evolved followed by the themes.”

While, only the European pieces of art are displayed in a three dimensional world, the Desi Canvas still upholds the traditional form of exhibition. However, plans to upgrade even these exhibits to the 3D world are under process. “Currently the paintings and sculptures are displayed in the old style. A lot of thought process is underway to do similar multimedia and high definition displays of Indian artists as well for the subsequent shows,” says Sinha.

India has a rich artistic background, from the caves of Ajanta and Ellora to the magnificent Taj, however the space for art has gradually has got restricted to studios. Namboodiri says, “Indian culture is deeply rooted to art, from somebody making a rangoli on their front porch to the beautiful architecture. People in Indian travel a lot and the first place they visit are the monuments, which are again art. Despite that, the concept of art is considered restricted to studios. So, art has been brought to the public space and it will find its own place.”