India News | Miniature to Hologram: Special Exhibition Celebrating Epic Ramayana Opens at NGMA on Mar 1
by PTI · LatestLYNew Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) From traditional miniature art to modern digital installation, a specially curated two-month-long exhibition displaying artworks themed on the epic Ramayana will kick off in New Delhi from March 1, officials said on Thursday.
Titled 'Chitrakavyam Ramayanam', the exhibition which opens a month after the Pran Pratishtha at the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, will also commemorate the historic consecration ceremony, its curator said.
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The exhibition being hosted at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), will feature the art gallery's own rich collection of artworks as well as those drawn from multiple other sources.
"Epics are timeless, beyond time and space. The story of Lord Ram, 'Maryada Purushottam' portrays an ideal man, and this exhibition is an attempt to showcase what Ramayana attempts to teach us," the exhibition's curator, Jyoti Tokas said.
The range of artworks in this exhibition is broad and diverse. From two miniature artworks from the 1850s to a hologram art based on cutting-edge technology, it is a very special exhibition, she told PTI on the sidelines of a press conference at NGMA.
The hologram will depict the story of Lord Hanuman, his birth, while there will also be a "virtual reality-based artwork", which will have a surprise element for visitors, she added.
The exhibition celebrates the perpetual tale of the Ramayana told through the wondrous Indian art, said Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, director general of NGMA.
"This exhibition breaks free from the constraints of time and tradition, bringing together a multitude of artistic accomplishments that accentuates the Ramayana's relevance in contemporary times," he said.
'Chitrakavyam Ramayana' recognises the valuable contributions of indigenous art traditions to India's cultural landscape. In particular, the NGMA highlights the artistic prowess of women in prominent traditions like Madhubani painting, Pattachitra, and Kalamkari art, he said in a written message on the exhibition.
The exhibition also incorporates the works of contemporary artists. Their contemporary interpretations, encompassing sculptures, installations, and prints elucidate a dialogue between the past and present, demonstrating the Ramayana's continuing influence on the artistic imagination.
"'Chitrakawam Ramayanam' is not merely an exhibition, it is an odyssey through the eternal tale of the Ramayana. By showcasing the multifaceted expressions of this epic tale, the exhibition invites the audience to contemplate its themes of love, duty, and righteousness, while cherishing the unique spirit of Indian art in all its diversity," he said.
Later interacting with PTI, Goutam said, Lord Ram is the ideal, a 'Maryada Purushottam' for people because he lived the ideals, as a man who fostered equality and obliterated divisions, as he cited stories of 'Sabri ke ber' and 'Kewat mallah' from Ramayana.
The exhibition also features selected works by modern and contemporary artists, drawing from collections of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, DAG and MeMeraki Foundation, and Crafts Museum, loaned for the event, Tokas said.
The exhibition will showcase an eclectic array of artistic masterpieces by eminent Indian modern, contemporary, and traditional artists with a wide range of artworks such as paintings, textiles, sculptures, shadow and wooden puppets, theatrical masks, prints (oleographs, chromolithographs, lithographs), installations, and more, the NGMA said.
The featured immersive art installations are created with state-of-the-art technologies by contemporary artists, the officials said.
Works by eminent figures like Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Upendra Maharathi, K Venkatappa and others, offer their distinctive interpretations of the epic narrative. Chittoprasad's captivating Ramayana series and the Kalighat Pats further augment the visual odyssey, a testament to the rich heritage of Indian storytelling through art.
Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi is slated to be the chief guest, while Jeevan Thondaman, Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, Sri Lanka, is slated to be the guest of honour at the event, the NGMA said.
The exhibition will run till April 30.
In addition, the exhibition will showcase various cultural festivals, including 'Natyakavyam Bharatanatyam' performances; dastangoi 'Ram ka Vanvas' and 'Ramkatha -- Kabir ke Ram', among others.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)