Odisha CM opens India’s living heritage exhibition
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’, an exhibition highlighting India’s age-old living heritage and indigenous knowledge systems, at the Kala Bhoomi in the city here on Monday.Specially curated by the Ministry of Culture, the art exhibition is being organised as a part of the ongoing G20 second Cultural Working Group (CWG) meeting.
Inaugurated in presence of Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, it is aimed at creating awareness amongst visitors, professionals and policy makers about the many living heritage practices that prioritise mindful and optimal utilisation of natural resources and harmonious co-existence between humankind and nature. The exhibition has been divided into three experiences - ‘akshara’, ‘stambh’ and demonstrations - by master artisans and art teachers. It showcases more than 35 crafts and various languages and scripts of India through objects and live demonstrations.
The first section of the exhibition ‘Akshara - Crafting Indian Scripts,’ highlights diverse languages and craft practices of India, reflecting unique world views and traditions. Through a new design vocabulary, Akshara showcases the visual beauty of India’s scripts, expressed through alphabets, verses, phrases, poems and colloquial sayings.
‘Stambh: Craft, Collaboration and Continuity’, explores indigenous crafts practices and their contemporary expressions. This section showcases functional objects designed with elements of traditional crafts, through collaborations with artisans, adapted for urban audiences. Scheduled to continue till May 22, the exhibition will also have master classes and demonstrations.