BENGALURU: Water and fire danced with Kerala folk music and copper drums thudded for a full 45 minutes to inaugurate the art and sculpture exhibition by Balan Nambiar at the National Gallery of Modern Arts. The venue has on display his works, and the exhibition will be open to the public until March 3.
The audience gathered around the water stage while the traditional deepa altar was getting set. Made of bamboo and leaves, the deepa altar was called the Teyyam ritual altar.
Ten musicians took centre stage with their copper drums for Mizhavu Melam, a temple-orchestra accompanying percussion instrument in Kerala. While the final preparations of the stage were ongoing, the audience explored Balan’s signature steel sculptures found spread across NGMA's gardens and pathways. The latest 2018 addition was a 272 cm tall stainless steel work titled ‘Spiralling Upward’.
As Balan walked in a black kurta and sandals, he was greeted by many, including children. The scattered onlookers took steps towards the stage and the performance started, which contrasted with the sound of soft gurgling water.
The powerful rhythmic beats got vigorous as the sky turned dark. Balan Nambiar’s present and past students lit the traditional lamp. The inauguration concluded when the flame died down and the music faded. The gallery doors then opened for the audience to explore his artwork.
The exhibition, titled Sculpting in Time, curated by Sadanand Menon, showcases Balan Nambiar’s work since 1957. From sculptures in bronze and steel to enamel paintings in gold and silver to photographs and paintings, the list of things to see is quite endless.