KOCHI: Galleries and museums shutting down across the country due to the pandemic has left many artists in distress. Though engaged in new creations, they don’t have a platform to exhibit the creations. Many galleries and museums have already embraced virtual platforms for conducting exhibitions. Polyphonia Collective, Ananda Kalakendram and Delhi Art Events WhatsApp Group, have launched ‘Polyphonia’, an online art exhibition which features 13 works of 13 artists from across India.
According to R V Santhosh, curator, the online exhibition is an attempt to boost the spirits of artists during the crisis. Polyphonia is a musical term which means a harmony of different voices. “It is an exhibition which focuses on ‘plurality’. Our society comprises people from different races, tribes, cultures with different ideologies. However, the voices of many are being oppressed, like with almost every other industry. Also, the artists involved in the exhibition are skilled in different mediums,” says Santhosh. The exhibition features works of Manu Madhavan, Shan K R, Pooja Dange, B Balagopalan, Mibin, Kunal Naskar, Ishita Debnath Biswas, Rahul Kamalasan, Pankaj Malasi, Anup Let, Ali Akbar, Vivek V C and Adeesh Babu.
Polyphonia Collective was launched by Santhosh and his friends Adeesh Babu, B Balagopalan and Midhun S during the lockdown period. “I wanted to do something productive when I was under quarantine after travelling to Kerala. Through this collective, we aim to support artists,” adds Santhosh. The works are uploaded on Polyphonia’s blog, which includes paintings, sculptures and even video art. The updates on the exhibition are sent out through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Santhosh says that virtual platforms are a boon to the artists though it possesses some limitations too. “Most prominent galleries in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata aren’t accessible to many artists. Art is all about heterogeneous expressions. When many works are neglected because of vested interests, virtual exhibitions let any artist exhibit his works. However, it sometimes sad how vast art shrinks into the size of a screen. The feel of going to a gallery and experiencing art will be missed,” he says.
According to the organisers, the exhibition is getting good response from the viewers. “The theme is different. Many appreciated the initiative as global politics is growing riding each day. Negative feedbacks are there too. We believe virtual exhibitions are here to stay for some time. Polyphonia Collective will be coming up with more programmes soon,” says Santhosh. The exhibition can be viewed on https://polyphoniacollective2020.blogspot.com.