January 08, 2025 07:43 am (IST)
Follow us:
Prayas 2016: A not-to-be-missed art festival in Kolkata
Kolkata, Jul 2 (IBNS): Prayas 2016, an art initiative promoted by Smita Art and Chemould Art Gallery, begins on Sunday in Kolkata.
Inauguration of the 60-day art festival, now in its fourth year, was held on Wednesday at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The exhibition will be held at the Chemould Art Gallery on Park Street, Kolkata.
Subrata Mukherjee, Minister in Charge, Panchayat and Rural Development and Public Health Engineering Department, Government of West Bengal, inaugurated the programme by floating flowers in water.
Joining him in the ceremony were the guests of honour eminent artist Rabin Mandal, fashion designer Sharbari Datta and theatre personality Dolly Basu.
In his inaugural speech, Subrata Mukherjee praised the idea of Prayas 2016 and their various efforts to give artists their due respect.
Lifetime achievement awards were given to artists Lalu Prasad Shaw and Anita Roy Chowdhury, art critic and historian Pranab Ranjan Ray and photographer Nemai Ghosh. However, Anita Roy Chowdhury could not be present owing to poor health.
That Prayas always strives to give young and upcoming artists a platform to showcase their work was much appreciated by all. Artist Rabin Mandal said that Prayas will encourage budding artists to pursue their creative urge. Pranab Ranjan Ray said that Chemould has always been very supportive to artists, both established and new. The owners of the gallery in Kolkata have maintained that tradition.
The programme began on a sombre note with a minutes’ silence observed in honour of eminent artist KG Subramanyan, who passed away on June 29.
Two cultural presentations were held at the beginning and end of the programme. The first was a dramatic presentation titled Ananta Ghorara (Eternal Horses) that blended Kathak dance recital and a mono-act (by Janardhan Ghosh). A RAD presentation, it was scripted by Partha Pratim Roy and choreographed by Amitava Dutta. The other cultural programme was a musical programme titled Afsana by Pratik and Pratim Chakraborty.
A digital preview of the works of the artists who are being showcased in the different phases of Prayas 2016 was also screened.
The programmes concluded with the declaration of awards for Prayas 2016.
Prayas 2016 will be held between July 3 and September 1, 2016 and will consist of 12 separate five-day exhibitions where 10 artists will display their works at every phase and share their views and ideas with a senior artist.
Images: Prayas2016
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Painter Samir Aich inaugurates 3-day art fair at Kolkata's Lake Club
Sun, Dec 22 2024
Pousali Banerjee's new single music video to release on Dec 16
Sat, Dec 14 2024
Kolkata Street Music Festival Season 5: Street musicians celebrate Salil Chowdhury's birth centenary year through his ageless melodies
Thu, Dec 12 2024
Kolkata's international poetry festival Chair Poetry Evenings presents poets from 12 countries this year
Sat, Dec 07 2024
U.S. Consulate Kolkata presents Native Jazz Quartet in Kolkata
Fri, Dec 06 2024