Show, Don't tell
When I strolled into the Museum of Goa on a balmy evening, the large ‘Carpet of Joy’, one of the museum’s top attractions, caught my attention as I climbed the stairs to the office of artist and owner of the museum, Subodh Kerkar.
I had been to the museum before and seen this artwork, although only on Instagram. Like many museums around the world, the Museum of Goa has gone online during the pandemic, opening its collection to everyone who enjoys art.
But I was curious: why would an artist open a museum and not an art gallery? And that explains why I stepped out of the virtual world and into the brick and mortar office of Subodh Kerkar. I needed to learn.
Educate and organise
“Whatever activity I’m doing is an activity beyond my own artistic ambition,” says Subodh. “An average artist, even a very well-known one, is interested in establishing his/her own name in the world of art, reaching a certain height in the art market. This is the usual trajectory of every successful artist in the country. I’m an aberration. Many people even accuse me that MoG is the product of my ego as an artist. But it is far from that.”
The museum, Subodh says, came from a moment of realisation. The realisation of the shocking truth that in a country with nearly 1.3 billion people, not more than one lakh people connect with contemporary art.
“I’m not even sure if that one lakh is an exaggeration,” says Subodh. “That number is based on my encounters and a lot of people do not have the opportunity to connect with the work of great artists of our times. We have some galleries, but they are businesses and they’re interested in selling the art. They are not interested in taking art education to schools and most of the galleries are situated in five-star spaces. An average person is scared to even press the bell there!”
What he’s trying to do with the museum, he says, is to make art affordable and bury the notion that art and collectibles are only for the rich.
“But I believe you can only connect to art when you are exposed to it,” says Subodh.
“Normally, the idea of art for most Indians is either a landscape or a portrait but there’s a lot
beyond it that they have never had exposure to.”
The politics of art
Did you know that Surat had a mini Eiffel tower? “What’s the need for a mini Eiffel tower in Surat? Why spend so much money on it?” he asks. “All our heritage structures and old palaces were commissioned by princes and kings, who had knowledge of art and culture, unlike the politicians of today. When politicians select art because they’re in power, you cannot expect it to be good art.”
He pauses for breath and continues. “Art is a means of communication,” he says. “While the viewer may have their own interpretation of art, as an artist, I’d like to convey my interpretation of my art too. Our curatorial language is a language of Tukaram. I’d like to become the Tukaram or Kabir of contemporary arts, taking art to the common people.”
A lot of Subodh Kerkar’s art, although contemporary, has influences of the rich history of his state. In today’s hot political climate, isn’t an art piece that borders on religion a bold move?
“The Portuguese demolished Hindu temples in Goa. History has to be accepted, but at the same time one has to realise
that the present has nothing to do with what happened in the past,” says Subodh. “Personally, I have no religion because I don’t understand why religion should overpower all my other identities. It has led to so many
problems. I believe the spiritual part of every religion has been removed and now there is only ritual.”
Subodh gave up his medical career nearly over three decades ago to become an artist but
“WHILE THE VIEWER MAY HAVE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION OF ART, AS AN ARTIST, I'D LIKE TO CONVEY MY INTERPRETATION TOO” —SUBODH KERKAR
he did not want to produce work that would only appease the eyes of a few.
“Art is not about decorating walls and halls. It is about the decoration of a soul,” he insists. “Art makes us more human. It breaks dichotomies and makes us plural. In the republic of art, there’s no barrier, it’s an equaliser. Art gives you some truth, the viewer adds their truth, and everyone’s truth is valid. Very unlike the present regime.”
For most part last year and now this year, Subodh’s MoG shut its doors to visitors. “I have never had such uninterrupted creative time,” he says. “I know it comes from a place of privilege. I obviously suffered major financial losses, but I ensured my staff salaries kept going, I had the time to read, walk long distances and draw much more.”
Most of his artwork is now on Reel sand has found many viewers. But Subodh is not certain that art belongs online.
“There’s been a bombardment of images, which makes it difficult for people to decipher what’s art and what’s not art,” he says. “For instance, to become an appreciator of music, you need to first become a Kaansen before heading to Tansen. Similarly, with art, you have to become an Artsen.”
The capitalist socialist
Subodh’s son, Siddharth Kerkar, is also an artist. But he is a social media influencer, too, and it was he who put the artwork from MoG online.
Siddharth already had a good number of social media followers before he went to the UK to study at the Chelsea College of Arts, affialiated to the University of Arts in London. “Being in London gave me a lot of exposure to art. It’s about the connections you make and it’s more about living in London than studying in London,” he says.
But his plans took a U-turn after the pandemic hit and he had to return to Goa. “To change things up, I’ve hired a videographer and I’m trying to merge my two worlds – artist and influencer. People look at me more seriously and more interior designers are coming into my circle, which brings me business,” he tells me over a Zoom call.
Although Subodh is the face of the museum, Siddharth plays an integral role in its management and has been at the helm of the Goa Affordable Art Fest which ran a successful three-year stint until 2020.
But what are his thoughts on his dad starting a museum? “It takes a lot of courage to take all your life savings and put it into one project without the assurance of whether it will work or not,” says Siddharth. “For dad, it’s more than a business. It’s about taking art to the masses, educating them about art, getting them to see a completely new side of contemporary art in India.”
Siddharth emphasises on the need to create a strong brand presence. His approach is capitalist, he says. Subodh is far more socialist about his art. However, the father and son have a strong idea in common: the idea of the affordability of art.
“THERE'S BEEN A BOMBARDMENTOF IMAGES [ONLINE] MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO DECIPHER WHAT'S ART AND WHAT'S NOT ” —SUBODH KERKAR