Curator Gayatri Singh spoke to Team Viva about the collaborative efforts of artists to interpret Transitional Spaces
Transition means different things in different realms. In its simplest form, it is an in-between state. In architecture, it connects two spaces. These spaces in turn allow us to explore and understand change. Our lives are incomplete without it. We can also see this space as a calm neutral zone between where we are and where we would like to be. Spiritually, it is the space of moving between the inner and outer worlds, an area where illusions exist! The unique exhibition, Transitional Spaces has artists from an array of streams including architects, painters, designers in interior, landscape, furniture, light as well as installation artists. The cynosure of attention was abstract mixed media artwork brimmed with tiny clustered houses by Jayashree Chakraborty. Another stellar piece is Parvathi Nayar’s By Accident and Design, a graphite drawing of a handbag with a tag in which she has created a geographical shot of a location. A dual toned metal sculpture comprising flowers and spiky leaves by Alex Davis too had the audience queuing up.
What weaves all of them together is the enthusiasm and conviction to embark on a transitional journey to challenge their own selves to present their interpretation of transitional spaces.
Sculptor Alex Davis, architect Swanzal Kak Kapoor and Akshat Bhatt, furniture designer Mukul Goyal, lighting designer Manav Bhargava, landscape architect Akshay Kaul; painters George Martin, Paresh Maity, T Vaikuntam, Amit Pasricha and Jayashree Chakraborty; ceramic artist, painter and architect Adil Writer; were some of the prominent names that featured in the line-up.
When asked how important it is to create and provide support to platforms like this, Gayatri Singh, curator and founder of Art Pilgrim live which presented the ongoing exhibition Transitional Spaces replied, “I think it is crucial for diverse creative minds to come together in a space where they can collaborate and push creative boundaries to create magic. This space will then define the future possibilities in design and art. We have not confined ourselves to any specific art or medium and that is what is amazing as well as fun.”
Added she, “This exhibition is one space that bring artists, sculptors, architects, product designers and even lighting designers together to work and define new possibilities. The space has a different energy as it brings diverse ideas and minds together. We were keen that people from different professions collaborate — architects with artists, landscape designers with sculptors and furniture designers with artists. While approaching the artists we do try to understand their work and thought process before suggesting partners for them so that there is a meeting of minds. However, Akshat decided to approach an artist known to him on his own. What is incredible is the final collaborative works which reflect the personalities of the people who created them.”
Singh’s vision was to create a space that bring creative minds together to define future possibilities in art and design.
Talking about the curatorial process, Singh emphasised, “Passion and the desire to do something different was an important factor. That energy is what we need to create something special. That was what defined my choice of people apart from their work. The challenges were plenty but then we need to be as creative as our participants! Further, we were looking to push boundaries and that cannot happen without roadblocks.”
Singh believes that art is fluid and it has always been fluid. When asked how can one push the envelope in terms of art and innovation, creating an all-inclusive environment for artists and the audience alike to take art and design forward. Said she, “I think one needs to think out of the box constantly and be unafraid to bring ideas and concepts to the table for discussion. There need to be forums or avenues that make this dialogue possible which was my reason for initiating Transitional Spaces.”