INDIA HABITAT CENTRE to host HABITAT PHOTOSPHERE

INDIA HABITAT CENTRE to host HABITAT PHOTOSPHERE – a month long photography festival that puts the focus back on sustainable development through exhibitions, workshops, film festivals, curated walks and more: December 1 to December 31, 2016

New Delhi: Beginning December 1, the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi will transform itself into a multi-layered art gallery – with both its indoor and outdoor spaces bustling with exhibitions, workshops, curated walks, talks, film festival et al – to host one of the most awaited photography festivals of the year, HABITAT PHOTOSPHERE. The month-long photography festival is an initiative of India Habitat Centre curated and conceptualized by Dr Alka Pande that aims to bring into focus sustainable development and environmental awareness through the medium of photography.

One of the main exhibitions during the festival is titled Panchtattvas: The Road Ahead which will showcase photographs and photo-based installations created by the four awardees of the prestigious Photosphere grant - Harikrishna Katragadda, Monica Tiwari, Shraddha Borawake and K. R Sunil, each having been mentored in this creative process by renowned, practicing photographers like Parthiv Shah, Bandeep Singh, Prabir Purkayastha and Aditya Arya respectively. And that’s not all. The four mentors themselves will be showing their photographic work responding to that of their mentees. Some photographs by both the awardees and their mentors will also be shown at the Mandi House metro station.  

Adding to the multi-dimensionality of the exhibition at IHC, Dr Pande will be presenting an animation work on River Ganga, artist Ashim Ghosh will have a light-based installation titled Illume on view, while Swiss artist Ursula Biemann will be showing a video work called Deep Weather. In addition, at the Jor Bagh Metro station, authors Kavita Singh Kale and Santosh Kale will be showing images from their graphic novel project called “17 Seen Unseen” that was published for young adults commissioned by UNESCO MGEIP based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Based in Kochi, Kerala, K.R. Sunil, 40, centers his project around the ethnographic photo-documentation of ponds in Kerala which are on the verge of extinction. Delhi-based Monica Tiwari, 28, has trained her lens to document the lifestyle changes in children of migrant parents by understanding the effects on their education, health, and social well-being, in the context of global-warming led migration in the Sunderbans. 

Mumbai-based Harikrishna Katragadda, 46, titles his project You Can’t Step Into The Same River Twice which focuses on the pollution in river Ganga. Shraddha Borwake, 33, has chosen the all-encompassing Earth as the topic for her installation-based photographic project titled Benevolence. 

Apart from the exhibition, there will also be a film festival on the subject of sustainability curated by Nitin Donde, treasure hunts, curated walks and show and tell sessions. Also scheduled to take place are a series of interactive and educative workshops being conducted by renowned photographers through the month of December. For details on all events, please visit on Facebook - habitatphotosphere, twitter - @Photosphere2016, Website - www.indiahabitat.org

Four Winners of Habitat Photosphere Award Announced

Awardees to create a body of work on the theme of sustainable development that will be exhibited in a large-scale exhibition at India Habitat Centre in December 2016

New Delhi: Harikrishna Katragadda, Monica Tiwari, Shraddha Borawake and K. R Sunil have been selected amongst hundreds of applicants as the four winners of the Habitat Photosphere award. The winners were announced on Saturday, March 5 at the India Habitat Centre (IHC), New Delhi. An eminent jury comprising of practising and eminent photographers – Bandeep Singh, Parthiv Shah, Aditya Arya and Prabir Purkayastha - went through a rigorous procedure of debating and discussing each application to select the final four winners. Each winner will be now awarded a monetary grant of Rs 2 lakh to create a body of work on the theme of sustainable development. The award is part of a year-long photography festival titled Habitat Photosphere initiated by IHC and curated and conceptualized by the art historian Dr Alka Pande. The works of these four awardees will be exhibited in a month-long exhibition at the India Habitat Centre in December 2016.

The award of Rs 2 lakh will cover the expenses related to travel and research undertaken by the photographer. The IHC shall bear the expense of the producing a comprehensive outdoor exhibition featuring the works of the awardees at India Habitat Centre. This will be supplemented with an equally insightful book titled ‘Panchatattava’ which will also serve as a catalogue for the exhibition. Each of the four photographers will be mentored through the next eight months by Aditya Arya, Bandeep Singh, Prabir Purkayastha and Parthiv Shah.

Says Parthiv Shah, who will be mentoring Harikrishna Katragadda: “The role of the mentor will be to channelize their thinking and energies on the broad theme of environmental damage, restoration and preservation. Beyond the award, this exposure would help in creating a long term commitment on using photography for environmental education and protection.”

Added Bandeep Singh, who will mentor Monica Tiwari: “While some applications were very technique-savvy, other scored on content. The winning applicants, of course, scored highly on all our parameters - style, execution and concept.”

Prabir Purkayastha, who will be mentoring Shraddha Borawake commented, “We were impressed by the fact that Shraddha has gone beyond the visual language of photography and works in a transmedial way using photography as a central point creating two and three dimensional works. We want to encourage new languages in photography through this festival and that is where she scored.”

On the other hand, KR Sunil will be mentored by Aditya Arya. Said Arya, “Sunil unanimously wowed the jury with his honest work tinged with an unadulterated innocence.”

PSBT representative Tulika Srivastava and Dr Alka Pande, Artistic Director, Habitat Photosphere also gave their opinions and views during the selection process.

For the exhibition slated in December 2016, Katragadda plans to travel to the cities and towns along the Ganges, with have high concentration of leather and metal industries, and the burning ghats of Benaras. He says, “I am interested in portraits of people, animals and various life forms affected by pollution. The aim is to pollute the photographic image like the landscape it represents.”

Monica Tiwari aims to document the lifestyle changes caused due to migration. “My project aims to focus on the challenging, uncertain, and heartbreaking journeys undertaken by the parents who migrate, and especially focusing on the children and the elderly who are left behind in their native lands.”

Shraddha Borawake will be working towards an installation-based project while K.R Sunil aims to document the fast-disappearing ponds in various parts of Kerala.

Habitat Photosphere awards have been supported by Future Institute, Tarun Khiwal, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd, Aim Television, PSBT, Bank Of Maharashtra, Picsdream and Foundation of Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama (FUR).

Opening Preview Of Fibre Fables: A Collaboration Between Artists and Weavers

New Delhi: Sumeet Nath, Managing Partner of Raj Group, hosted the opening preview of Fibre Fables, a collaborative show between eleven artists and weavers of Panipat which was held at The Stainless Gallery in New Delhi on Saturday evening. The artworks in this exhibition have emerged from a year-long interaction between the artists and factory weavers with an idea to put the spotlight back on our weaving traditions that are slowly facing extinction in the face of competition from machine-made products.

Curated by Shailin Smith, all the artworks in the exhibition have been created using the techniques involved in weaving industry – tufting, braiding, kilim and pitloom weaving to name a few. ​Through this creative process, each artist has gained an insight into many new techniques that they hope to use in future as well, while the weavers have begun to look at their daily mechanical chores with a new, respectful gaze, as something that can be used to create a piece of art.

Those who attended the opening included Sumeet Nath (industrialist) with wife Mandira, Shailin Smith (curator), Susham Bahl (curator), Alka Raghuvanshi (artist and art critic), Matisha Sahni (architect), Mona Kapoor (fashion designer), Manisha Gawade (artist), Kanchan Chander (artist), Anoop Kamath (curator and artist), Ritu Kamath (artist), Abeer Gupta (artist), Dhvani Behl (artist), Durga Kainthola (artist), Nikheel Apahle (artist), Puneet Kaushik (artist), ​Sahaya Sharma (artist), Sandeep Biswas (artist), Shivani Aggarwal (artist), Vibhu Galhotra (artist), Achal Kumar (photographer) among others. 

Raj Group presents Fibre Fables @ The Stainless

New Delhi: Panipat-based Raj Group, one of the oldest home furnishing exporters from the area, is presenting in Delhi in November an exhibition of artworks that has emerged from a year-long interaction between eleven Delhi-based artists and factory weavers. The idea is to put the spotlight back on our weaving traditions that are slowly facing extinction in the face of competition from machine-made products.

Curated by Shailin Smith, the exhibition – titled FIBRE FABLES: An exhibition in collaboration with artists and weavers - including installations, photographs, video and sound art, will be held at The Stainless Gallery, Old Ishwar Nagar, New Delhi from November 21 till December 31, 2015, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The eleven participating artists are ​Abeer Gupta, Brahm Maira, Dhvani Behl, Durga Kainthola, Nidhi Khurana, Nikheel Apahle, Puneet Kaushik, ​Sahaya Sharma, Sandeep Biswas, Shivani Aggarwal and Vibhu Galhotra.

Unleash Your Dark Side with ENVY After Dark Series

New Delhi: Vanesa care Pvt, Ltd one of the top manufacturers of deodorants and perfume in the country, has launched Ultra range of perfume body spray under brand name ENVY. ENVY 1000 in current fiscal is one of the India’s fastest growing brand in the country and known for its excellent quality and unique communication mix.

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Ultra Premium range of Envy After dark series deo are available at Rs 250 for 108 gms. True to ENVY brand genesis entire range is pure fragrance and no gas which simply means irresistible you without any wastage.

Manjunath Kamath's solo show titled ‘Postponed Poems’@ Gallery Espace: January 16-February 28, 2015

New Delhi: Renu Modi, Director, Gallery Espace, presents Postponed Poems, a solo show of terracotta sculptures and drawings by Delhi-based artist Manjunath Kamath at Gallery Espace, 16, Community Centre, New Friends Colony, New Delhi, from January 16 till February 28, 2015, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phone @ 26326267.

Postponed Poems is the aggregate of Kamath’s distinctive imagery rich with the narratives of everyday life, interwoven with mythologies and intimate stories. Kamath’s collecting hobby of over 30 years forms the basis for understanding of his new body of sculptural work. The old and aged classical and folk sculptures holding the trace and weight of time becomes the subject for his work. The artist is fascinated with the amazing forms of the past such as traditional temple sculptures, broken parts of old havelis, ritual masks and icons of god and goddesses. The artist pours out his heart and soul and captures such antiques in terracotta sculptures. His works signify beyond the mere meaning of realistic representation, to becoming a kind of shamanistic process that honors aged things and elaborately traces the various lives and sensibilities inherent in the objects.

At the same time, Kamath imparts his signature flavor of witticism in his interpretation of the secular, mythological and the historical. Hence, his terracotta sculptures in this show are inspired by classical aesthetics but turned into a modern metaphor replete with humor and satire.

Says the 42-year-old artist: “I have a great fascination for traditional classical sculpture and paintings from my childhood, and I still remember that I spent hours looking at those sculptures in temple chariots and on walls. The temples and churches are like art museums for me, and that was how I was introduced to art. I have spent hours with local craftsmen watching them make idols of Gods and Goddesses. Eventually, I even started collecting classical sculptures and paintings like ritual masks, wooden and metal sculptures, parts of temple chariots, old terracotta sculptures. It was natural then that I would want to bring the aesthetics of this classical style into my works but interpret them on my own terms. It is like reconnecting to our roots.”

Kamath tells many stories with his images but his narratives are altered and adjusted constantly, adapting fluidly according to the environment they are narrated in, and resulting in a different meaning each time a story is told. As a visual artist, Kamath feels impelled to regularly reinvent his method of storytelling. By relentlessly working on his articulation and modernizing his techniques, the artist continuously updates his visual vocabulary.

Apart from these sculptures, Kamath is also showing paper works which include 30 small drawings, 9 small Indian miniature-styled paper works and 15 gold leaf portraits drawing reference from the Buddhist Thangka paintings.

Live music acts to be played at Thespo16!

Mumbai, December 4,  2014: The annual drama festival for theatre-wallahs below the age of 25, the 16^th edition of Thespo, is back with a dramatic bang. Taking place from 15^th to 21^st December 2014, the festival is centered on the theme ‘Plug-In to the Tamasha’.  Continuing its support of all forms of artistic talent, Thespo 16 will intersperse its theatre performances with a host of live music shows.

You can sway to the acoustic folk and soft rock sounds of Shubhangi Joshi, a Mumbai-based singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Mumbai, India. A self-taught guitarist since the age of twelve, her musical style is primarily a mix of acoustic, folk, and soft rock, with the occasional outlier that sounds nothing like the above. Her debut EP, titled 'Talking away the Night', is a collection of four songs rooted in varying styles (16^th December 2014, 6 PM, Prithvi Theatre)

Enjoy as Pune’s Meera Shenoy croons her favorite folk/ jazz/ blues numbers. Meera Shenoy is a young blues jazz singer, who accidentally discovered her vocal skills while fiddling around in the school choir.  She is tinkering around with strange xylophones, harps, ukuleles, pianos you name it, for musical epiphanies ever since. Meera has grown up listening to big band jazz and small town blues and extends her love over a century from Dean Martin to Mac De Marco. She still does swear by Esperanza though. Her favorite musicians are currently Tom Waits, Elvis, Costello, Nick Drake and Yo yo ma (they change every week). Come watch her sing about lost picks and stuff. (17^th December 2014, 6 PM, Prithvi Theatre).

If classic rock is more up your alley, tap your feet to the tunes of bass guitarist Vivek Date who is a Bass guitarist, singer, songwriter purely into rock & roll music drawing heavy influences from bands like The Beatles, The Who, Cream etc. (18^th December 2014, 6 PM, Prithvi Theatre).

You can also watch out for Indo Gypsies, one of the most prolific Folk/Fusion/World Music Bands from India. They Seamlessly blend Folk Music with Myriad of Genres. This exceptional quality managed to win them the nation wide contest 'India Fest Channel [V] Launchpad 2013. Their songs are being aired on various national as well as international radio channels. Recently they have released an official music video, "Soldier's Love", with Pepsi MTV Indies. With their engrossing and colorful-vibrant attires, rooted in Indian Culture, Indo Gypsies appeal to a wide range of audiences and captivating everyone all over the places. (19th December 2014, 6 PM, Prithvi Theatre).

Having started out in 1999 as a one-act play festival, Thespo has surely come a long way. Surpassing boundaries of nationality, languages and art forms, its 16^th edition promises to be an occasion where all come together for the pure and simple love of theatre. As actors, dancers, musicians, writers, directors, enthusiasts and even first-timers meet on this dynamic platform, once can be assured of an invigorating, memorable experience like no other.

Thespo is organized by QTP, under the aegis of Theatre Group Bombay, it will be taking place in two venues this year: the iconic Prithvi Theatre, which has been the home of Thespo since 2008, and Sitara Studio, the city’s latest indie cultural space that used to stage Marathi plays back in the 1970s.

Renu Modi, Director, Gallery Espace hosted the preview opening of ‘Drawing 2014’ at IGNCA

New Delhi: Renu Modi, Director, Gallery Espace hosted the preview opening of the gallery’s 25^th anniversary show titled Drawing 2014 at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) on November 10, 2014 amidst a gathering of the who’s who of art fraternity. Featuring drawings by over hundred Indian contemporary artists spanning seven decades, the show has been co-curated by Prayag Shukla along with Annapurna Garimella and Sindhura Jois DM. From works of stalwarts like M.F Husain, K.G Subramanyan, Jogen Chowdhury and Ganesh Pyne to younger ones like Mithu Sen, Manjunath Kamath, G R Iranna and Rollie Mukherjee, the show captures the staggering diversity in Drawing as an art practice.

Gallery Director Renu Modi said, “Artists bare their souls in drawings. Drawings are also the foundation of any art. Also the approach to drawings has changed so much, they are no longer pen and ink works, or mere sketches on paper. For instance, in this show, while we have classically minimalist works by Somnath Hore, there are also embroidered drawings by Rakhi Peswani, print-based scrolls by Paul Sengupta, and even a video by Sonia Khurana - all celebrating drawings.”

Those who attended the opening included Prayag Shukla (curator), Annapurna Garimella (curator), Maneka Gandhi (BJP leader), Alpana Gujral (jewellery designer), Shobha Deepak Singh (director, Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra), Rajshree Pathy (art collector), Rahul Kohli (art collector), Sita Raina (theatre personality), Subodh Gupta (artist), Paramjit Singh and Arpita Singh (artists), Amit Ambalal (artist), Jatin Das (artist), Siddharth (artist), Manu Parekh and Madhvi Parekh (artists), Amitava Das and Mona Rai (artists), Rameshwar Broota and Vasundhara Tiwari (artists), Manisha Gera Baswani (artist), Manjunath Kamath (artist), Anjum Singh (artist), Manisha Parekh (artist), G R Iranna and Pooja Iranna (artists), Seema Kohli (artist), Shruti Gupta Chandra (artist), Atul Bhalla (artist), Ranbir Kaleka (artist), Shobha Broota (artist), Ravi Aggarwal (artist), Samit Das and Mithu Sen (artists), Vivan Sundaram (artist), Vibha Galhotra (artist), Ina Puri (curator), Alka Raghuvanshi (curator), Uma Nair (curator), Geeta Kapur (curator), Priya Pall (curator), Prof Rajeev Lochan (NGMA director), Uma Ravi Jain (gallerist), Amol Vadehra (gallerist), Anjali Sen, Mayank Mansingh Kaul among many others.

Gallery Espace celebrates its 25th anniversary with a mega-show on DRAWINGS: Nov 10-28

New Delhi: To celebrate its 25^th anniversary this year, Gallery Espace is hosting one of the most ambitious shows ever featuring drawings by over hundred Indian contemporary artists. Titled Drawing 2014: Seven Decades of Indian Drawing, the show is co-curated by Prayag Shukla along with Annapurna Garimella and Sindhura Jois DM from Jackfruit Research and Design, Bangalore, and will be on at The Exhibition Hall, 11, Mansingh Road, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Mansingh Road, New Delhi from November 10 till November 28, 2014. 11a.m. to 7 p.m.

Artists whose works will be showcased are Jogen Chowdhury, Ganesh Pyne, Bikash Bhattacharya, Ambadas, Ganesh Haloi, K G Subramanyan, Shyamal Dutta Ray, Somnath Hore, Arpita Singh, Meera Mukherjee, Chtrapatti Dutta, Dharamnarayan Dasgupta, Bhupen Khakar, Jeram Patel, Nagji Patel, Jyoti Bhatt, Nasreen Mohamedi, Ghulam Muhamed Sheikh, Nilima Sheikh, Amit Ambalal, Vivan Sundaram, Amitava Das, Manu Parekh, Madhvi Parekh, Himmat Shah, Mona Rai, Manjit Bawa, Shobha Broota, Jai Zharotia, Anupam Sud, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Jatin Das, K K Hebbar, F N Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Navjot Altaf, G R Santosh, Laxma Goud, K C S Panniker, S G Vasudev, Zarina Hashmi, Prabhakar Kolte, Prabhakar Barwe, Sudhir Patwardhan, Surendran Nair, Siddharth, Anwar Chitrakar, Akshay Rathore, Adip Datta, Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Bhajju Shyam, Basant Peringod, Dhruvi Acharya, G R Iranna, Jagadesh Tammineni, Jitish Kallat, Lavanya Mani, Meghana Bisineer, Manisha Parekh, Manisha Gera Baswani, Moutushi Banerjee, Mithu Sen, Manjunath Kamath, Mekhala Bahl, Nikhil Raunak, Naini Arora, Nityanand Ojha, N S Harsha, Om Soorya, Riyas Komu, Ravi Kashi, Poonam Jain, Paula Sengupta, Puneet Kaushik, Pratik Prabhakar, Rakhi Peswani, Rakshit Kadlar, Ramesh Pithiya, Shreyas Karle, Sonia Khurana, Snehal Chordia, Sumakshi Singh, Sisir Thapa, Samit Das, Tushar Joag, Umesh Madanahalli, Vibhuti Sharma, Vijay Hagargundgi, Valsan Koleri, Waswo and Rakesh Vijay, Subodh Gupta, Chinan Upadhyay, Rohini Sen, Rollie Mukherjee, Probir Gupta, Birendra Pani, Shailesh, Shanti Swaroopini.

“Drawing is the foundation of all art and the basis of all disciplines,” says Renu Modi, Director, Gallery Espace. “It was the legendary M.F Husain who introduced me to the finer nuances of drawings and the intimate, small format nature of this genre has remained a personal favourite with me ever since.” Gallery Espace held a show on Drawings as far back as 1994 and it’s only natural that its 25^th anniversary show should celebrate the genre with greater aplomb. Apart from this expansive show, there will be several collateral/outreach events that will reflect on the significance of drawings in art and other disciplines.

Incidentally, Gallery Espace was started in 1989 by Renu Modi at the suggestion of the Husain himself and was one of the first art galleries in India to introduce variable lighting and sound systems, in recognition of the crucial factor that is the environment within which a work of art is displayed. In a similar vein, Gallery Espace was a pioneer when it came to video installations, going so far as to organize a first-of-its-kind monthly out-reach programme (Video Wednesday I, 2008-09 and Video Wednesday II, 2011-12) in order to bring artists working in new media into the spotlight.

Drawing 2014 will showcase more than 100 artists from India and features works dating from 1947 to the present in which drawing is presented as a broad and inclusive practice. Along with works on single sheets of paper, there will be artists’ books, studies for other projects, multiples, laser drawings, animation and more. This breadth allows curators and viewers to understand how an academic practice moves between the pedagogic and the conceptual realms and between established and experimental ways of working.

Gallery Espace has served as a launch pad for emerging artists of promise (several of whom are now established names in the art world), whose work reflects their individual internal journeys of growth and self-discovery, resulting in a truly eclectic and protean collection. While the focus is predominantly on Indian artists, Gallery Espace has also promoted international artists and recently has diversified into displaying South-East Asian art. Gallery Espace laid the groundwork for curated exhibitions featuring leading art commentators and journalists. Past themed exhibitions like Drawing ’94, Sculpture ’95, Mini-Print ’96, Kitsch Kitsch Hota Hai ’01 and Bronze ’06 have explored different forms of artistic creation. Rather than using exhibitions as a marketing tool, Gallery Espace believes in creating opportunities for growth, showcasing new talent and enriching the world of art in India, thus becoming an important link between artists and buyers, viewers and auction houses

Magnificent Launch of Parul Grover Designer Studio: Your Brand New Shopping Destination

New Delhi: The lovers of style, glamour and fashion witnessed an evening of true celebrations with the grand launch of Parul Grover Designer Studio at Faridabad Sector 14. Owned by Parul Grover, the designer studio brings together one of the most innovative designer couture, much for the delight of the trendy customers who love to stay in vogue.

Located in posh area of Faridabad, the stylish store offers one-stop shop solution for all high-end fashion buyers in Faridabad and Delhi. The new store was launched with a festive affair including a glittering gathering of socialites, models, fashion designers and other media personalities. The guests included Parul Grover’s friends Mrs. Paul, Nikita, Twinkle Kasana, Salma Chug, Shipla Dhara, Sonia Nishta, Sangeeta, Sidharth Agicha, Aakash Agarwral and many more. The launch party was hosted by Designer Parul and Puneesh Grover.

About Parul Grover: Redefining Attitude

Starting her design journey in 2005, couturier Parul Grover combines the finest hands- craftsmanship with modern silhouettes and styles. Her collections accentuate the wearer's inner beauty, setting a glow to her face. She creates intricate design in a feminine and soft color palette.

Creating collections for the arch lights she combines the glitz and shine of crystals and rhinestones with interesting and innovative drapes and forms.

The label Parul Grover -redefining fashion has been part of exclusive exhibitions in different countries like Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc. Ethereal and sumptuous would be the apt words to describe hew work. Pleated and draped to give a new stoke to the conventional classics. Inspired by the Greco-Roman drapes these supple and delicate drapes would make any women look   Greek Goddess. The use of luxury fabrics encrusted with crystals offset ethereal drapes and the color palette suffused with rich colors like dark purple, deep red, bright pink and ivory to nudes and beiges. Her collection is indeed very pleasing to look at since the colors used are not shocking or in-your-face but very appealing and elegant. What makes her every piece so incredibly gorgeous is of course the fabric used along with the heavily embellished borders with delicate motifs. The intricate embroidery of every single piece is adorned with sparkling stones, crystals, sequins, beads, etc and the ornate workmanship truly demands admiration. Rich design combined with sexy feminity defines the designs of Parul Grover. With opulent surface ornamentation, simple and clean silhouettes and a fusion of techniques her collection includes a range of draped saris, lehengas and draped dresses and anarkalis.

THE ART ROUTE presents Prarambh, India’s first students’ arts festival at IGNCA from Oct 9-12

New Delhi: The Art Route presents Prarambh, India’s first students’ arts festival where over two hundred budding artists will be showcasing their works. Prarambh will feature nearly 350 artworks in mediums as diverse as drawing, painting, printmaking, illustrations, digital art, sculpture, photography, installation, new media and mix media. The show will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, Janpath, New Delhi from October 9 till October 12, 2014, 11 a.m. till 7.30 p.m. Entry is free.

Participating students are from art colleges from across the country, including Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University (Shantiniketan); College of Art (New Delhi);   Jamia Milia Islamia University (New Delhi); Faculty of Visual Arts (BHU); Department of Fine Arts (Kurukshetra University); Department of Fine Arts Aligarh Muslim University); Indira Kala Sangeet Visva Vidyalaya (Chhatisgarh); College of Arts and Crafts (Lucknow University); Government College of Arts (Chandigarh); College of Fine Arts (Trivandram); Faculty of Fine Arts (MSU, Baroda); Department of Visual Arts (Silchar, Assam); International Institute of Fine Arts (Modinagar); College of Arts & Crafts (Kolkata), Government Institute of Fine Arts (Gwalior); Government Fine Arts Institute (Indore) and Department of Fine arts (University of Hyderabad) to name a few. 

Says Lubna Sen, Co-Founder, The Art Route: “Our vision is to create a vibrant artistic environment through a continuous exchange of ideas between communities of different backgrounds. We want to build a platform where artists and individuals from different cultures, geographies and disciplines meet and explore different approaches to the creation of art. We believe art today should be for the masses and thus aim to broad-base public interest in art through education and promotion. With a strong belief that art can contribute to the overall development of the society, we aim to explore various social issues through the medium of visual art.”

Adds Ujjwal Ankur, Co-Founder, The Art Route: “Prarambh will be a platform for young students of visual arts to showcase their talent and receive real market exposure. It will provide them hands-on practical experience and prepare them for their future career. Students will have the opportunity to receive critical feedback of their art from peers, experts and public. Through the works of their contemporaries, they will be exposed to a different approaches and philosophies in art.”

The Bombay Store Launches ‘Happy Sundays’

The Bombay Store, one of the oldest and most popular lifestyle destinations presents ‘Happy Sundays’ starting fromSunday, 28th September 2014, an experiential shopping concept that promises hands-on product experiences, and interesting activities. Held at the sprawling 10,000 sq ft flagship store at Sir P.M Road, Fort, Mumbai, this weekend extravaganza will offer a graceful dose of retail therapy tailored for customers looking for a wholesome shopping experience. ‘Happy Sundays’ will feature exciting array of artistic activities, and iconic exhibits of art/ crafts/ home decor.

‘Happy Sundays’ will play host to various activities  and exciting offers while the exhibit section will be dedicated to local craftsmen, where customers can choose Indian crafts in vibrant color palette, rich textures, forms and themes. Visitors will be entertained with activities ranging from food, tea tastings, music, magic shows, puppetry, crystal gazing, diet consulting, tarot reading, angel card reading, coffee cup reading wellness, to short film screenings. Guests can use a special photo booth to capture crazy pictures and share the fun with close ones. Apart from activities the event will gratify the patrons with new product launches in art, crafts, home décor, fashion accessories, wellness and apparel. Patrons can also look forward to exciting shopping offers, indulgences and in-store promotions.

The opening Sunday will showcase best of labels from emerging talents across the country namely Design Gandhi,Tuni, Studio Saswata, Pipa+Bella, Silver Streak, Iha Creations, Aavaran, Ginil & Disha, Green Apple, Keya Designs, Babel Books, Veruschka and One pending. Heaven on Earth Spa will provide Foot Relexology and guests can avail exclusive loyalty points on purchases made apart from exclusive offers and surprise gifts.

Announcing the launch, Asim Dalal, Managing Director, The Bombay Store says, “We are pleased to launch ‘Happy Sundays’ that will serve as ultimate resource to plan fun, memorable shopping with family and friends. Keeping with our mission of discovering a new India, the event will showcase a perfect blend of art and tradition, experiential shopping atmosphere, entertainment and enhanced customer engagement.  The occasion offers numerous opportunities to enjoy the diversity of cultures, traditions and cherish the bonds with your close ones. We wish to take customer service to experiential level and believe there would be great degree of acceptance to the concept from our esteemed patrons”.

About The Bombay Store:

The Bombay Store enjoys a unique legacy as one of the oldest and most popular lifestyle destinations with roots tracing from India’s freedom struggle. Incorporated with an idea to promote Indian made products during the swadeshi movement, the first store was founded by some of the greatest patriots and business luminaries like Lokmanya Tilak, Ratanji Jamsetji Tata and frequented by Jawaharlal Nehru and Vijayalakshmi Pandit. Since then the store is effortlessly preserving the rich Indian Heritage, offering a platform to next generation to know and learn about their culture. Even today, a stroll through the store gives you the vibe of the aesthetic and culturally rich India. 

The store offers a wide range of products from, Artefacts, Home Décor, and Fashion to Wellness products. The product line boasts of exquisite artefacts in clay, metal and wood, bed & table linen, home products, fashion accessories, ethnic jewellery, stationery, tableware, mementoes & souvenirs, paintings and wellness products. With more than 30,000 sq. ft. of shopping bliss ‘The Bombay Store’ operates out of 8 outlets in the high street markets and malls of major cities, with its flagship store at Sir P.M. Road, Mumbai, admeasuring 10,000 sq. feet.  It caters to wide spectrum of audience from art enthusiasts, tourists, NRI’s and youth.

Top 5 films to watch at Manhattan Short 2014

Mumbai: Manhattan Short 2014 in India, the international platform which showcases, celebrates and awards short films from across the world will also conduct a variety of workshops covering different aspects of filmmaking and short film making. Manhattan Short 2014, India chapter, will be held from 3^rd October 2014 to 5^th October 2014 at Sitara Studio in Mumbai. The festival will screen the ten best short films that have been selected from across the globe. Here’s a list of top 5 films that should not be missed this year:

Film	Country	Director	Synopsis	Duration
Shift	Australia	James Croke	A genius invents a sophisticated device that gives him a super power for the perfect heist.	11 minutes
97%	Netherlands	Ben Brand	A man tries to track down a potential love interest on a crowded train using a smartphone app.	8 minutes
The Bravest, the Boldest	USA	Moon Molson	A mother tries to avoid two U.S. Army officers ready to deliver the worst news of her life.	17 minutes
Rhino Full Throttle	Germany	Erik Schmitt	A man searching for the soul of a city encounters an enigmatic young woman who unlocks his heart.	15 minutes
Crime	USA	Alix Lambert & Sam Chou	A graphic-novel-style documentary about the havoc crime creates told by those living through it.	14 minutes

This year Manhattan Short 2014 in India and its chief patron Vivanta by Taj conducted an exciting competition named, ‘Vote for India’. This initiative saw filmmakers from across India send in their short film entries to compete for a spot in the global finalist list. Three India winners have been decided post the voting conducted. These three winners each have won a chance to create a short film for Vivanta by Taj.

Film	City	Director	Synopsis	Duration
Seductive Berozgaari (Seductive Unemployment)	Mumbai/Ajmer	Stalin ‘Bertie’ Massey	An unemployed young man encounters a genie in a radio who grants him three wishes.	11:53 mins
Ten Past Twelve	Mumbai	Samay Bhattacharya	On a stormy night Ray, a film director, is caught up in his office with work. He has an unexpected visitor and he finds comfort in his company, only to discover to his horror that things aren't quite as expected.	08:06 mins
Unfold	Pune	Neha Kulkarni	A true story based on the experience of a little girl who is hearing-impaired. She feels left out in this world of ‘normal’ people and finds happiness in her own amazing world of origami	03:41 mins

Date: 3^rd October to 5^th October, 2014

Time: 2.00 pm onwards

Venue: Sitara Studio, Tilak Bhavan, Kakasaheb Gadgil Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400012 (https://www.facebook.com/sitarastudio/photos_stream?tab=photos_stream)

Entry: Free on First come first serve