Maintaining sanctity of aesthetics in a space

Space is a big thing with me as you must have figured out since I do go on about it. But that is because I know the impact it has on the arts and their visibility and subsequently their future. If the arts are set properly it impacts their patronage positively — after all a lot depends on presentation. At the end of the day nobody wants to be associated with shoddily presented arts, however, intrinsically esoteric they might be.

In the Indian context presentation is often given the go by. We have come a long way from the single brass lamp lit in a dark stage to heighten the impact of the performance. Now which organiser will agree to hold performances without a tacky flex sheet announcing how such-and-such samiti or society is holding the programme under their aegis I have had many a raging battle with sponsors and organisers who want to place their banner/standee/flex board in the most prominent space and ruin the ambience by their usually badly designed publicity material.

Most artists and artistes have to acquiesce to the sponsors’ demands for obvious reasons, whatever its eventual impact on the aesthetics. I have nothing against giving sponsors mileage. But I do have a problem when the visuals they want to impose are out of tune with the rest of the situational aesthetics. Last week I got a lot of feedback from people about the cultural spaces in and around the Mandi House and I was reminded by some of them how we used to call it “Kala Mandi” or the wholesale market for the arts in the late 70s and 80s.

Four important spaces that need to be mentioned are the National Gallery of Modern Art, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National Museum and the latest gallery at the Bikaner House. Set amid the sprawling lawns all of them have vast potential and need to hold more programmes to put the spaces to better use and that too regularly.

The scene started shifting a bit towards the south when the Lodhi Road situated India International Centre and India Habitat Centre beefed up their facilities and the location and parking facilities etc ensured better attendance. While the IIC is better designed in terms of accessibility for older and not so mobile people with ramps and lifts, the IHC leaves much to be desired. The edge it has in terms of space, it losses in terms of availability and accessibility. The IHC exhibition spaces are available allegedly only to a select few who kow-tow to the powers that be and the overdose of stairs at every step (literally) and distance amongst the spaces make them difficult to negotiate. Anyone who wants to see all the shows at the IHC will have to be athletic to negotiate them in the span of a single day!

Around the Lodhi Road area are a clutch of auditoriums that are not so popular but have immense potential: Beginning with the Islamic Centre, Chinmaya Mission, Sai Auditorium, WWF space, INTACH, Lok Kala Manch all have auditoriums and exhibition spaces that have varying ranges of size options, pricing and need to be popularised to be on the cultural radar. Most spaces are fine for intimate dance and music soirees and theatre that doesn’t need not-so-elaborate sets. Some can work well with multi-disciplinary presentations with art as well. Around the area are also several governmental and public sector organisations that have excellent facilities and spaces. Considering that they use their spaces a few times in a year, it would make so much sense to share them with mere mortals.

Further ahead is the Siri Fort that was touted as the largest space in the city with seating for a little over 2100. But closer inspection reveals that it too has many pitfalls again literally for between the large stage and the seating there is a vast orchestra pit that renders the stage unusable for solo performances. It would make so much sense to create a structure that covers the pit with the flick of a button unless the Philharmonic is coming to play! I think the saddest part of Delhi’s wonderful arts facilities is art galleries that are not available for rentals. Because of this few spaces get so much dadagiri power that it is unfair. Not every show needs to be in big spaces and since nothing is available shows have to perforce be held in spaces that sometimes dwarf works. With nearly a hundred art galleries, who needn’t host their own shows all the time, if they give out their spaces for rent, they would break even and even make profits without even selling a single piece of art. Are you listening art wallas and wallis Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alka-raghuvanshi@yahoo.com