BENGALURU: The upcoming 22nd edition of Chitra Santhe will be held both online and offline. The offline art exhibit will take place on January 5 and will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. This is the first time a hybrid exhibition model is being adopted post-Covid, said the director of Chitrakala Parishath, BL Shankar, on Saturday.
The online Santhe will continue for a month, enabling artists to showcase their works, interact with art lovers, and sell their products.
In the offline Santhe, artists can display up to 10 pieces at a time on their wall for citizens to choose from. This year, the event is not open to international artists.
Of the 3,177 applications CKP received from 22 states, 1,420 paintings were selected. Of these, 189 artists are senior citizens, 152 are specially-abled, 292 are hobbyists, 769 are professionals, and 18 are from art institutions.
The exhibition will stretch from Windsor Manor Hotel to Shivananda Circle, and a part of Crescent Road. Additional stalls will also be set up in Seva Dal grounds exclusively for senior citizens.
Shankar admitted that, due to logistical issues, the number of artists has been limited this year. “Once Chitra Santhe concludes, a committee will be constituted to discuss other possible locations where it can be held to accommodate more people. We are open to suggestions from the public, but we have limited space. Around 3-4 lakh people participated last year, and we expect around 5 lakh this time. Last year, there were sales worth Rs 3 crore, and we are expecting the same, if not more, this year,” he said.
Speaking about this year’s theme Girl Child Shankar said CKP aims to create awareness about the challenges and abuses faced by girls. Special decorations displaying the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, along with artworks from serving and retired staffers, will also be showcased. “Chitra Sammana awards will be given to five senior artists from Karnataka on January 4 under five categories: D Devaraj Urs, Nagaratnamma, Y Subramanya Raju, HK Kejriwal, and M Aryamurthy,” he said.
Highlights:
Chitra Santhe will be held from 9 am to 9 pm on January 5.
The online Santhe will continue for a month.
Over 1,420 artists from 22 states will showcase their works.
ATM, food courts, and mobile toilet arrangements will be made.
CCTV cameras will be installed at dedicated locations.
Feeder bus services will be available from Majestic Metro Station, Mantri Mall Metro Station, and Vidhana Soudha Metro Station to Shivananda Circle on January 5.
Artworks at Chitra Santhe will range from Rs 100 to several lakhs.
Booths for family photos, caricatures, cartoon drawings, and more.
Mysuru, Tanjore, Rajasthani, Madhubani style artworks, along with modern, contemporary, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, ink drawings, graphic media works, and other genres and styles will be on display and for sale.
Cultural performances by students from the College of Fine Arts and Bangalore School of Visual Arts will be held.