In one month, we completed the Venkatappa Art Gallery for one year (VAG)
Protest a month later
Black Umbrella protest, Human Chain, capture Venkatappa, art marathon, Whistle protest. . . .
Usually the quiet Bangalore art community suddenly became angry at the MOU between the state government and businesses adopting tourist destinations.
Under this agreement, their beloved art space in the city, Venkatappa Art Gallery, will be adopted by the taserville Foundation, which plans to build a museum there.
Democratic spaces like VAG are unacceptable for artists who can't afford expensive galleries, and in March 7 they launched a campaign against the move.
"If a private space is taken over, we will be asked to get up now," said artist Suresh Kumar G . ".
"The four of us have been in the past two hours --
Sheela Gowda, Suresh and Alaka Rao have been sitting at VAG to discuss the journey of the Forum to date and the road map for the future.
Sheela, Suresh and Alaka quickly clarified that they were not the only representative of the VAG Forum.
In response to the adoption of VAG, the artists organized the event collectively through the forum.
"I think one of the reasons we have achieved is that it is not formal.
It has no rigid structure.
No president, no secretary, no members.
You can join and you can leave.
Everyone is here to participate and make suggestions.
There is open debate.
Everyone therefore represents the VAG Forum equally, "Sheela stressed the reasons for the continuation of their movement.
They refused to accept a memorandum of understanding between the taserville Foundation and the Ministry of National Tourism, which led the government to reconsider the agreement.
"It is very arbitrary to submit VAG to the Vision Group of the Ministry of Tourism for adoption.
VAG is part of Kannada and the Ministry of Culture, not the Ministry of Tourism.
"This is a very good model and we want this model to stay the same," Suresh said . ".
"Anyone can rent this space exhibition for the least price," Suresh said . ".
But the agency also believes that some key improvements are needed to make it better.
"Only artists know how to upgrade this place.
We travel around the world so we know and trust me that we don't need crores.
The place needs very basic things like projectors, improvements to walls, better hanging facilities, lighting, airconditioning.
The space occupied by the administrative staff is very large.
This can also be used for small exhibitions and spaces.
Why is Roerich's collection stored here?
Is VAG a warehouse?
There is no proper title for Venkatappa's painting.
No proper text.
These things need to be studied.
We have given the list of these changes to the ancient languages department.
"We will resume discussions with the department," Sheela said . ".
If seen as a protest model last year, this year will be a constructive model, the forum said.
On February 10, Sambhrama 2017 marked the launch of phase II of the VAG Forum.
"At Kannada, it means celebrating, and we will celebrate every 45 days through the event," Suresh said . ".
Poster Exhibition, lighting, film video exhibition about resistance, video art produced by VAG Protest Video
A long marathon will be held from February 10-2 to 15.
"We will also make files for each other one day.
There will be dance and music.
We would also like to launch a sculpture to express our gratitude to the media and others who support us, "added Suresh, who was invited to talk at NGBK about the VAG forum protests on March 29, an alternative art space in Berlin.
Considering the protesters, it is not surprising that the creativity of the protests.
The forum does not want anything normal to express their objections.
"We are creative people, so what happens is very natural," Alaka said . " He explained their artistic rejection of the proposal by events such as the rejection memo.
In the event "we read the MoU.
We reject the memorandum of understanding.
We recycle the "memorandum of understanding" held on March 27, asking visitors to recycle copies of the memorandum of understanding in different ways.
A few months later, artist palmeswar jorad was chief minister, sidarama, and Minister of Industry and Tourism R. V.
Deshpande and Kannada of Shivananda Circle and Umashree, minister of culture, seek public funding to raise funds for the government to manage VAG.
International Seminar on "Mysore modernity, art nationalism and K Art"
Venkatappa, planned by pashparma N"
November 2016 was another groundbreaking event in this direction.
"We don't want to run VAG.
Our aim is to save a beautiful public space that is threatened like other public spaces.
It is very convenient for the government today to say that they cannot take care of it.
They have no will.
We want to protect these public spaces.
I believe there are other spaces for adoption as well, and our protest paved the way for adoption.
"If we become the catalyst for positive things, we will be very happy," Sheela said . ".
K. wencatapa Art Gallery.
Vencatapa is an important figure in Indian modern art history.
He studied art under the leadership of Tagore.
The gallery took a long time to complete and appeared in 1971.
Interestingly, at that time, artists were also upset about the delay in space construction and protested.
In addition to the collection of paintings and plaster in Paris reliefs.
The space also houses the collection of KK Hebbar.
Contemporary artists such as Sheela Gowda, Pushpamala N.
Personal performances at VAG started their career.