Several art galleries are finding newer ways to connect with their visitors in the pandemic. For instance, Delhi-based art gallery, Art Heritage, has uploaded audio interviews from the archives on their website to connect listeners to the artists. In this engaging series, the artists talked about their creative endeavours, what inspires them, what eventually led to their growth, and also their engagement with the gallery.
Artist Sunanda Khajuria said her interactions with the locals in Tanzania strengthened her colour palette, especially for her subject – human desires. Photographer Ronny Sen said it was his sense of adventure that led him to pursue photography and eventually filmmaking. Tariq Allana, Associate Director, Art Heritage, said an audio series felt like the appropriate response to the lockdown for several reasons.
“Starting from a practical perspective, with limitations on travel, even locally, we had to pick a medium wherein we could generate high quality, novel content quickly, without compromising the essence of what our artists work on – an audio episodes fit the bill in this regard.” For Allana, the audio episodes allow listeners to engage with an interview in the same way OTT platforms let viewers to watch content whenever they get a break from their schedules.
“But, because you are not tied to a visual, several people listen to the episodes while doing other activities,” he says, adding more interviews are being planned. “We also found that viewing artworks from the comfort of one’s home can make one feel disconnected from the work. In fact, in 2019 we implemented audio self-guided ‘curated walks’ in the gallery, wherein patrons could scan a QR code next to an artwork and listen to the artist or curator talk about different elements of the exhibition as they walked around the space. We extended this idea for the ‘online only’ age,” Allana concludes.