In art’s helping hand, a pick-me-up for daily life

Gurgaon: The thrum of economic activity may have returned but galleries, halls and auditoria remain silent. While trade and industry take care of a city’s financial well-being, culture helps nurture its soul. But, many are still apprehensive about stepping out — unless it’s absolutely necessary to do so.
Still, for the folks at Uneditioned Art, life must be embraced anew. This gallery collective has come together to host Unmask Your Mind, using art in an attempt to bring back normalcy, an endeavour that’s as much about breathing life back into the cultural realm as it is about offering hope to the community of artists.
“The government has ‘unlocked’ the lockdown but people’s minds are the same — because their lifestyle has changed due to the lockdown. They were stuck inside their homes, so, stress levels are very high,” shares Keerthisinghe Wijerathne, co-owner of Aroma Ceylon (spa and gallery), one of the exhibition’s sponsors.
It’s all about freeing up the imagination, and inspiring. “The arts can ‘unlock’ the mind, they can bring creativity. This type of event I feel can take away the fear factor and open the minds of people,” adds Wijerathne.
So, too, is Piyush Aggrawal, of Uneditioned Art. “To fulfil that need, we thought to do something through art, because artists are suffering these days. They are running out of money, and freelancers aren’t earning even a paisa,” points out Aggrawal, adding, “To support them, we have asked them to bring their work for free — we’re not charging them to display.”
Some 50 artists will be taking part, including students and alumni of the College of Art, Delhi. Their artworks — paintings, ceramics, sculptures and prints — will be displayed in the mall’s lobby, and in the evenings, there will be live sessions, in which the participants will present their creations in different media, including watercolour, charcoal, woodcut, knife painting and performance art.
Crowding is not a concern since the mall isn’t known for being thronged by visitors. “We do not get much of a crowd these days. So, we don’t expect many people to come, but those that do will be taking precautions,” assures Wijerathne.
Unmask Your Mind opened on July 31 and will continue until August 9, in the upper ground lobby of South Point mall (11am to 7pm). It is being supported by the mall authorities, and Quill & Canvas (art gallery and bookshop).