DIGITAL COPY ON MAGZTERAnnoushka Hempel: The Colombo Art Biennale’s
(CAB) primary purpose has been to create a
platform for contemporary Sri Lankan artists to
be seen and heard within a landscape of modern
history in Sri Lanka that has been politically
volatile. Sri Lankan art has for some time been the
most openly expressive language recording events
experienced by the people through the medium
of art. CAB has also fostered a strong link with
the South Asian region through the arts, involving
both curators and artists/speakers as participants.
CAB encourages collaboration between artists
and contemporary cultural organisations in the
South Asian region as an opportunity to engage
in meaningful dialogues that can not only create
important and meaningful visible narratives of
what is happening in the region through the arts
but also provides a platform to share this with the
rest of the world.
Osman Waheed: Art is a powerful medium
for asking provocative questions, addressing
contentious issues, transcending national/ethical/
religious boundaries, and ultimately building
bridges in a way that politics and routine
diplomacy cannot. South Asia has an exceptionally
rich tradition in the arts, and there is much to
celebrate and exchange between our countries. An
international event like a biennale provides the
ideal opportunity to do exactly that.
Sabih Ahmad: From a historical perspective, South
Asian arts have a heritage that go far beyond
South Asian countries. So, are the arts across
South Asia in danger of losing touch with their
heritage? Are we in danger of losing touch with
our heritage? I would reply with a ‘yes’ and ‘no.’
Yes, because we are in a time where the definition
of what is ‘our’ heritage is becoming increasingly
narrower and prescriptive. And no, because our
everyday life is saturated with a dense richness
of tangible and intangible culture and heritage.
And it’s really a matter of staying alive to the
differences that constitute our heritage as much
as the commonalities. I’m reminded of what
artist Gulammohammed Sheikh once beautifully
described in one of his essays, that ‘living in India
means living simultaneously in several cultures and
times... The past exists as a living entity alongside
the present, each illuminating and sustaining the
other. As times and cultures converge, the citadels
of purism explode’.
Towards a Culture of
Corporate Patronage
Moderated by Amin Jaffer
international director, Asian Art, Christie'sAddressing the role and impact
corporate patronage can have within
the cultural sphere in India and the
different models it can adopt, Thomas
Girst, head of cultural engagement,
BMW Group, Munich; Sangita
Jindal, chairperson JSW Foundation;
and Namita Saraf, director, Saraf
Foundation for Himalayan Culture
and Traditions share their viewsThomas Girst: Over the past decade, the way people
look at companies has changed. They are looking
at them as good corporate citizens; at what they are
doing inside the societies that they do successful
business in. BMW has always been conceived as a
cultured brand. International cultural commitment
has been an integral part of our corporate culture.
We actively engage in art fairs and biennials, have
long-term engagements with opera houses, and
collaborate with institutions that we consider to
have the same reputation in the art world that
we have in the automotive world. India Art Fair
presents us a great opportunity to reach out to
the art connoisseurs in India. It is a significant
event for the arts in the region, attracting artists,
curators, gallery owners, collectors, museum
directors, art enthusiasts and extensive media from
around the world.Sangita Jindal: While the sponsorship of artists and
the commissioning of artworks are the best-known
aspects of the patronage system, at JSW, we have
aimed to support artistic freedom in a variety of
ways. I personally believe in trusting the artist’s
concept – her instinct and her way of creating and
mounting the artwork. Corporate patronage is a
combination of your support as a benefactor and
your trust as a connoisseur. It implies institutional
faith in an artist’s mode of interpreting the world.
In fact, earlier as Honorary Director of JindalIAF - Delhi Connecting Art/ feb 2016 - mar 2016 / arts illustrated /^73