Here's an exhibition dedicated to book art! Artistes have been invited to use the book as a medium and explore its tactile, visual, and intellectual qualities.
This exhibition, brought to you by Blueprint 12 in collaboration with Colombo Art Biennale and coordinated by Navar, titled The Reading Room will have 13 artistes participating in this exhibition representing India, Sri Lanka, USA and China; namely - Samit Das, Smriti Chaudhary, Kingsley Gunatillake, LizFernando, Sathyanand Mohan, Banoo Batliboi, DengYifu, Anne Covell, Samanta Batra Mehta, Jagath Weerasinghe, Layla Gondwana.
The exhibition will also accompanied with a talk session by Banoo Batliboi who is a pioneer in book art in India. She will be showing her work and talking about her inspiration and practice, explaining the nuances that go into making a book.
Book art is very popular abroad and there have been exhibitions abroad. The concept behind the exhibition is to showcase and exhibit works of art that is made by using books, or by full time book artistes. Book art is popular in the medium of artiste's journals or sketchbooks but not known as medium where books can be altered to depict an idea. In this exhibition, we will show artistes who have used books, by drawing in them, carving them, tearing them, to convey contemporary issues of displacement, war, fantasy, nostalgia, or history.
The exhibition aims to stimulate and engage the audience to look beyond canvases and sculptures or video.
Book Art is one of the most underrated of art mediums. When paintings and sculptures are finding their way in the art galleries and museums, book art is yet to be discovered as a medium of expression and a form of art. It takes wide range of forms through fold-outs, fold -ins, scrolls etc. Artistes enhance the visual quality of the book and take it as their tool to showcase their creativity. It could be easily understood when observed closely but most of the book artistes prefer to give their imagination an abstract form. As its one of a kind art it is also said to be quiet unique and attractive. Though its a contemporary art form it marks it’s space at the first glance in an art lover's mind.
When: 24 April-11 May
Where: Alliance Francaise & Nitanjali Art Gallery, Anand Niketan (27 April to 11 May)