Kolkata :
It was almost like Durga Puja had arrived early at the historic Basubati at Bagbazar on Friday as a curated showcasing of the best from contemporary national design — The India Story 2015 — was unveiled at the venue.
Madhu Neotia, restaurateur-food writer Abhilasha Sethia, scenographer Swarup Dutta and designer Nil have put together the exhibition, which will be held at Swabhumi from Octorber 29 to November 1.
“We were at Jaipur when I noticed that the hotel I was staying at had the most gorgeous decor, with everything made in India. That’s when the idea struck. I felt nothing would be more beautiful if we can showcase India’s art and culture from all corners of the nation,” Neotia explained.
Dutta took visitors around some of the objects on display, including a few by Terra Indica, Dev ‘r’ Nil, Sneha Arora and his own.
“This is simply a preview. We are not revealing the names of artists coming from other places. Around 100 will be participating in the grand show,” the artist said.
Asked about the venue, Dutta said: “We felt this place was ideal to start a resurgence story.”
Nil told TOI: “Exhibitions happen all the time but we plan to take this to a different level. That’s why we chose Basubati for the preview — where Rabindranath Tagore had presided over the meeting to revive Indian craft traditions in 1905. We are playing with Indian elements and presenting them in a contemporary context.”
Along with artwork, food is also a key element in the India Story concept. There is ‘gondhoraj-ginger-aloe vera mix’ (a concoction of basil, blood orange and lemongrass) on one hand and ‘pat patar bora’ (fried tender jute leaves) and ‘smoked chhana paturi’ on the other.
“Food is the binding element in Indian culture. We wanted to include traditional Indian ingredients and present them in a new way,” Sethia said. Industrialist Harsh Neotia and other dignitaries were also present as guests.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / September 26th, 2015