A walk to remember

Updated on: Monday, January 30, 2012

Aparna Andhare, a postgraduate student of arts and aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who curated art walks at the India Art Fair, shares her experience.

Art has always interested me and a chance to hold curated walks was exciting for me. This is the second time that I curated walks at the India Art Fair (formerly called the India Art Summit). I am a second year student of MA arts and aesthetics , Jawaharlal Nehru University.

This year, I chose to curate a walk that dealt with understanding how different fragments - bit and pieces that create art, make sense when they come together. These bits and pieces of art could be textual , academic, historical, political or even personal . The artist's work spans across different mediums of art such as sculptures, paintings, new media, etc. On the walk, this year, I introduced groups to the works of Rashid Rana, Varunika Saraf, Marina Abramovic, Nikhil Chopra and Prajakta Potnis , among others. I chose this topic because I realised that a lot of people had difficulty in deciphering contemporary art unless they looked at these details.

In order to organise the curated walks, I read about these artists, looked at their work, did a lot of research, spoke to galleries , my mentor and also used my own interpretation . My background in art also helped me understand and relate things.

The fair provides an opportunity for art students like me to get a hands-on training, which otherwise would not be possible. I met a lot of artists, saw a range of art works that was showcased by artists and galleries. Also our art professors at JNU were there to help us out. Curating art walks has been a learning process for me because I had a mixed group - there were some who were into art and could comprehend the nuances of a piece of work, there were some who had little knowledge but a lot of interest, while some had no idea but were curious. Interacting with them and introducing them to the works of artists was something I really enjoyed.

Times of India

A walk to remember

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