Café Samovar had a legacy of decades before it finally closed down. Nestled in the brilliantly designed Jehangir Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda, the café was home to hundreds to artists. From painters and sculptors to writers and filmmakers, the corridor was always chiming with banter.
When the café shut shop in 2015 after being in service for more than five decades, it upset patrons who flocked the space for years. Today, the same corridor is revamped to make space for art in the new branch of the Jehangir Art Gallery, called Gallery No 4. As a part of the inaugural exhibition curated by businessman and artist Dilip De, the space featured artwork from the private, heritage collection of Tata Consultancy Services.
Dilip De
But the former café wasn’t refurbished overnight. The task to renovate the space completely was Dilip’s, and it was him who ensured that the new gallery space was an eco-friendly one. “I am an ardent student of architecture and as an art collector, I learnt to enjoy beauty early in my life. My goal was to create a beautiful space for the exhibition. I drew inspiration from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya building that is a stone’s throw away from Jehangir,” explains Dilip. One of the goals that he wanted to attain with the design was to build an optical illusion that the new gallery merged with the museum. “And so, we used stiffened glass on a section of the roof and rear portion. This allowed an easy inflow of natural light with a backdrop of trees,” he says.
While shortlisting the 15 paintings from the heritage collection weren’t easy, Dilip says that the association came natural. With the gallery design put to paper, Dilip had the task of selecting a partner for the inaugural exhibition. “I was looking for someone highly reputable,” he recalls. And that’s how Tata Consultancy Service came into picture. “I was aware that the houses of Tatas and Jehangirs have had a close relationship spanning nearly 150 years (J.R.D. Tata was a member of the managing committee of the gallery),” he recalls. Artwork by artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Manjit Bawa, Sunil Das, Rameshwar Broota, Somnath Hore, and Krishen Khanna are up for viewing.
As Dilip confesses that his goal was to preserve the legacy of Jehangir Art Gallery, he says he has put in his all in the project. “When I was offered the task, I was very humbled. My goal was to maintain the continuity of the legacy of the art gallery, where the country’s leading artists started their journey as artists. I did my best to live up to the expectations,” he says.
This first and last exhibition will be ongoing till November 26, 11 am to 7 pm,
At Gallery No 4, Jehangir
Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
