Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
DELHI: A CAPITAL OF ART RETREATS
The trend of private art hubs in Delhi is gaining prominence. Artists and connoisseurs delighted
Art aficionados, look beyond Mandi House, Lado Sarai and MG Road — Delhi’s quintessential art hubs. With the trend of opening personal art spaces for public viewing hitting the cultural scene of the Capital, artists and patrons are happy that the city scape is offering more platforms to feature artefacts and talent.
Ravi Dhingra, a Delhi-based photographer, says, “As an artist, there’s always a dearth of spaces where you can show your work. Not many people are willing to take up on displaying an artist’s work. It’s always good to have private collectors, also because they have a good network of buyers. So, the artists get more visibility. A few art collectors in the city are now beginning to convert their collections into museums for public viewing.” The gallerists are equally delighted to offer spaces where art can be discussed, displayed and bought. “There’s a lot of talent here. Mine isn’t just a gallery; it’s a space where artists and patrons can discuss art, developments in the field, hold a dialogue, feature their work, even hold small events. This place is born out of my love for exploring something different, and providing a platform to artists,” says Monish Bali, founder of El Garbo, which features his private collection of unique artworks for the public at Mathura Road.
“When art curators open their private collection for public, interesting mix of pieces are found at one place because they generally collect masterpieces from all over. And most of the pieces generally have a story to narrate,” says Rukmani Singhania, an aspiring art critic.
For instance, the art retreat El Garbo has some unique swords and gears of Greek barbaric tribes, such as, General Maximus The Helmet & The Sword, and The Gladiator Helmet & Sword. “The manufacturers who made it for the film, The Gladiator (2000), made these for me. They are based out of India. These are original pieces. It was difficult to get them, since they are licensed. But, I managed (smiles),” says Bali.
One can also find a replica of battery-operated 1904 RollsRoyce, among the carefully handcrafted 40 pieces of unconventional pieces of art, including six paintings. Other interesting sculptures seen at the gallery include a fullgrown lion sculpted out of a single-block of black stone weighing 1,000 kilos. There is also The Skull — a sculpture with over 4.5 lakh beads of stainless steel. That’s not all. There is a bit of art even for bikers, who will be delighted to see a wall-mounted Harley Davidson from the World War II.