HYDERABAD: In the everydayness of life, we tend to lose touch with the creative dimensions of our existence. With as much commitment we choose to give to our professions, people are increasingly recognising the need to commit to themselves, to their creative pursuits and to alternate lifestyles that actually help them live--more than merely exist. Something similar was pondered upon at TEDx Hyderabad’s salon event this weekend. Thinkers from the fields of art and music discussed what art means to them and how their work translates social realities.
Around a month before the Ninth TEDx Hyderabad, Ignite, to be held on September 17, this salon event had sculptor and painter Ranjit Roy, music composer Jaywant Naidu and playback singer Thomson Andrews as guest speakers. The event took place at Bansilalpet Stepwell in Secunderabad. In order to keep the noise pollution in check, the guests were provided with headphones to tune into the melodies Jaywant was playing on his guitar, while they had a tour of the exhibitions that had been put up.
Architect Kalpana Ramesh took the guests on a tour of the gallery and around the step well, while retelling the story of the restoration of the water body. She explained how she crowdfunded the entire project while also making some personal investments. She also mentioned how about 2000 tonnes of garbage was removed from the well which allowed the groundwater to rise up. Explaining the history of the area, she talked about the inspiration she got from TH Keyes, a British architect who developed a planned model village surrounding the village, she said she wanted to build a permanent water source for the community. “The baoli acts as a bucket during the rainy season to hold rainwater so that it does not flow out and flood the low-lying areas in the vicinity,” she said.
The guests were then welcomed to the exposition by talented sculptor and artist Ranjit Roy’s artworks. Showing the wooden, bronze and stone sculptors, Roy said that his work was inspired by the social realities around us: the hard work and labour of a worker, the tiredness of a hawker, the limitations posed by society on young girls and their desire to break them. An interesting stone piece of a reptile was inspired by nature. The small metal piece expressed Roy’s experience of being in Shantiniketan many years ago, where on weekends, several bicycles would be seen heading to theatres and cinema halls. Showcasing another bronze artwork, Roy said, “This is where I have tried to display how workers are made to toil hard by their masters but once the work is over, their existence also stops being valuable to the masters. I have tried to highlight that exploitation here,” he said.
Besides sculptures, there were some paintings of Roy, abstract art depicting the everydayness of life, how we view homes, how we express ourselves and what comes to mind when we think of ‘flow’ and ‘fluidity’. The organisers had also put on display, some commendable photographs of the city, clicked by citizens who are not professional photographers. However, the guests were amazed by the skill and talent of the photographers.
Musician Jaywant Naidu then presented his case in favour of human creativity against Artificial Intelligence. He said that AI can never replace humans, as the ability to entertain and muse a live audience is an indescribable experience. “Music is about emotions. The live audience is inspired by a number of things, the space, the sound and even the lyrics. In India, we have music inspired by seasons which has its own therapeutic effect. For a musician every performance is different and new, representing that novelty is something that an artist strives for, to give a distinct experience to their listeners each time,” he said.
Following Naidu, was playback singer Thomson Andrews who made a compelling case of how music has proven to be helpful in treating patients with Dementia. As a vocalist and a music teacher, he said he had full faith in the healing powers of music. Lighting up the atmosphere with his strong and melodious voice, he said, “Music is everywhere, it helps you experience different kinds of emotions. It is all about the frequencies, your subconscious mind connects to music. This is the reason why a song once heard in the club sticks with you. It is also a stress reliever. Stress is a part of life but incorporating music in our lives can help relax you. Listening to music activates blood flow to the brain which revives memories. This is something which has been seen with Alzheimer’s patients, some of them were able to connect with music and remember some aspects of their lives.”
As the guests were in awe of the speakers, the thinkers then came on stage together to discuss what art and music can help bring social change. Tedx curator Viiveck Verma moderated the discussion. As the audience got involved in the question and answer session, the significance of creative pursuits in personal life was brought forward with one of the audience members suggesting everyone pick a paintbrush and draw something, even if it is once in six months.