For the second time, the Kalakendra Gallery of the Bharat Nivas in Auroville has organized an exhibition on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th 2023. The title of the exhibition is “Invoke the beautiful in all pervading Shakti Energy”.

Prior to Covid, the exhibition was reserved for female artists as it is International Women’s Day and Shakti is a female goddess that embodies the creative principle. However, there was a suggestion that such gender division was not appropriate in today’s world. So, the 2023 exhibition is open to all. It’s nice that this was adapted in such an uncomplicated way, although the topic will certainly be discussed further by the organizing team. The exhibition is accompanied by a series of workshops on various artistic practices, as well as presentations and a film series.

A little over 100 years ago, Sri Aurobindo asked: “Whether the future hope of the race lies in a rational and an intelligently mechanized or in a spiritual, intuitive and religious civilization and culture, – that, then, is the important issue.” In times of ChatGPT and an AI image generators, this question sounds topical again. What about the creative force, in 2023? Sri Aurobindo wrote in the same text:

“Whether we shall actually find a greater expression than the past gave us, depends on our own selves, on our capacity of response to the eternal Power and Wisdom and the illumination of the Shakti within us and on our skill in works, the skill that comes by unity with the eternal spirit we are laboring in the measure of our light to express; yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam.” (CWSA 20, p.76)

Sri Aurobindo is referring here to Indian art and culture, its self-understanding, its distinction from Western culture, and its mission. Shakti in us is what ‘still’ distinguishes us from AI.

Shakti is the driving, creative, creating force of consciousness. The certainty that we as humans are filled with a force infinitely more powerful than an algorithm, no matter how complex, is present in many parts of the world. And while Europe and the US are arguing about copyright, here Shakti is being evoked. How does that look?

I have seen many ‘last minute’ miracles. They are part of the cultural operation. Artists tend to be good at improvising. That may also has something to do with creativity. A few days before the exhibition opening, there was the last coordination meeting. An inventory was followed by setting up a WhatsApp group and a kind of evocation of Shakti, not in a ritualistic sense, rather in a brief discussion of how it should be understood, what kind of workshops can be set up, etc…. Everyone in the room agreed that something unique could be created. 

The exhibition had been announced for a long time, artists of the bioregion knew about it and were waiting for the starting signal. What followed in the coming days is hard to describe. A tsunami of creativity rolled towards Kalakendra Gallery, many volunteers helped, a self-organizing force seemed to be at work. As has been the case in Auroville, hierarchies were flat. Participation was straightforward, the energy collaborative, supportive, open. At the opening, the French Consul General of Pondicherry inaugurated the exhibition; short speeches were given on the theme of International Women’s Day and there were some quite critical tones regarding the global human rights situation. A tribute to the Holi festival, which fell on the same day, brought colour into play.

Curated by Silky, the show featured more than 50 artists from the region. The result was an exhibition that symphonically depicted the diversity of the region. The circular gallery literally vibrated and sang. A wide variety of styles were represented. Many artists expressed Western classical modernism, exploring spiritual symbols, or materials and techniques, as well as social issues. However, they did not lose themselves in a technical formalism, but brought in stories, classical motifs, traditions. Talking to some artists, it was fascinating to learn about their different paths.

Sathya is an artist from a surrounding village of Auroville, who felt the impulse to paint as a young child and learned impressionistic landscape painting from a master in Auroville. For over a decade, he explored the landscape of the bioregion, temple sites and viewpoints to meditate on in his painting of nature.

Kirti Chandak, an artist, the owner of TASMAI gallery in Pondicherry, and a graduate of the Sir Aurobindo Ashram School where she teaches art today, explores in her artwork the inner emotional landscape.

Gopal Jayaram, a very established painter who started his artistic career in South Africa, is presently the acting Director of IGNCA (The Indira Gandhi National Center of Arts Pondicherry chapter). He also took part in the exhibition and gave an opening talk. His journey as an artist is multifaceted, his work represented his abstract period.

Radja Perumal’s poetic abstract 3D works are vibrating structures mounted on canvas, that allow for a deep connection of the inner world of nature and the self.

Kashmira is an artist who picked up painting only in the last few years, but her composition, colour treatment and choice of subject are powerful and show a soul that wants to express itself.

Hufreesh Dumasia is an artist from Auroville who has shown internationally. Her work comes from a place of inner light and illuminated the exhibition.

Kalaivani’s large-scale cyanotypes illustrated the complexity of the medium.

Puneet Brar’s flower wall pieces were a wonderful example of the rich ceramic artist tradition in Auroville.

There is not enough space to give proper credit to all here. It was an event that built a solid bridge between Auroville and Pondicherry by showcasing the richness of the art scene in both cities as well as the bioregion villages.

Just a few of the workshops offered at Kalakendra gallery should be listed to complete the picture:

Grace offered a workshop on ‘Mahakali in Kolam Yoga’;
Claudia, ‘Floralis Humanity’;
Sri Amitabh Sen Gupta, ‘Slide Show & Discussion’;
Hand of God ‘Intuitive Drawing through Visual Expression’;
Kashmira & Anwar Khan, ‘Painting & Demo’;
United Tesla Hemp Company, ‘Handmade Hemp Paper’;
Kalai’s ‘Cvanotype Printing’;
Women Builder Collective, ‘Dorodango – Japanese Mud Art Workshop’;
Sridala and her father K.K.Segar gave individual workshops on acrylic painting;
Anand and Soukumarane gave an acrylic on canvas workshop;
Matej Ukmar gave a talk and slide show of his process of digital creations.

The atmosphere of these workshops was open, inviting, hands on and the participants enjoyed learning new creative techniques in an architecturally inspiring and unusual gallery setting. This former community dining room is circular with many open levels that invite these types of activities. It has an attached artist-in-residence studio which has received artists from Denmark, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Both Indian and international artists are invited to apply for short-term residency programs. To apply write to:  bharatnivas-kalakendra@auroville.org.in

The exhibition was on view at Kalakendra Gallery from March 8-April 2nd.

by Christoph Kluetsch 

for AV Art Service