Colour me happy 

BENGALURU:  Bustling streets with sidewalks filled with art work was a common sight at this time of the year. But with the ongoing pandemic, the popular Chitra Santhe, like several other events, has gone online. The 18th edition of the annual art fair held by the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, kickstarted on Sunday virtually, with Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation Sudha Murty inaugurating the event.

Apart from that former chief minister SM Krishna, Dr CN Manjunath, cardiologist and director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, among others were physically present during the inauguration. Unlike previous editions, this year, the art festival has various unique features, apart from being virtual. Artists from 25 countries are participating in the event. “Chitra Santhe has always encouraged the home-grown artists.

This is the first time that we have international artists participating and showcasing their art. We will be seeing artists from USA, Russia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Japan, etc,” says BL Shankar, CKP president, adding that artists from 19 states are displaying their art. Another unique thing about this year’s fest is that it is going to continue for one month. “In previous editions, it used to start in the morning and end in the evening, but now you can visit the santhe by logging in at any time,” says Shankar. 

More than 1,500 artists are expected to be participating in Chitra Santhe this year. The first list containing the names of 1,057 artists is out already while the second list is going to be out on Monday. The details of the artworks are included in the description and visitors can view paintings prior to making a purchase. While there are many perks of going digital, the rush of going to this fest and the excitement of meeting artists from various states and listening to their stories is missing.

“Due to the pandemic, we didn’t want to cancel Chitra Santhe this year, so we had to find an alternative way. We surely will miss meeting the artists who travel from different parts of the country to be part of the santhe, but we try and look at the silver lining to move forward.  Moreover, the government has released guidelines for our safety and we have to respect that too,” says Shankar.