A Cultural Treat

“There are no simple ways for artist to survive, yet they must do more. They must intervene into the system that alienates them”
- SAHMAT (Safdar Hasmi Memorial Trust)

SAHMAT has brought up one month long exhibition in M. F. Hussain Gallery of Jamia Millia Islamia.

The theme of the exhibition is the image, music, text through which SAHMAT is trying to show the interaction of various forms of art.

The exhibition has made a trajectory of the 20-years of cultural journey with a reproduction of M. F. Hussain’s paintings. A display of letters and messages from the legendary Satyajit Ray, Nagarjun and other renowned activists are also there.

Another interesting feature is a projection of works of slum kids. Newspapers, postcards, letters and photographs clicked by slum kids are being exhibited.

A good deal of displays from different groups like Image and words, 1991, Artists against Communalism, 1994 and Cartoons against Communalism, 1992 have marked the exhibition to a great extent.

The exhibition made a significant display of history. Gandhi is one part of it. Postcards for Gandhi-1994, is another wing of SAHMAT which signifies the role of postcard in the days of e-mail particularly in India.

“Art on the move”, a unique display of SAHMAT activities has taken the exhibition to a different level. Vivan Sundaram’s findings of a vehicular form, wheeled cart or a cycle rickshaw for navigating the art object into unlikely places of the city is an exciting idea of disseminating culture. It is through this medium that plays, concerts and demonstrations have been staged in the open.

Street banners, posters, and the books published by SAHMAT are also on display. A video compilation of the 20 years of SAHMAT projects, made by Shankar Sharma, Anant Raino, Sashi Kumar and Sohail Hashmi are also on display.

Besides that, there is a showcasing of “Gift of India”, which is an exhibition of abstract art of India.

A special segment on display is “Sportsmen against Communalism”. This adds up another flavor to the exhibition. Sports people like Manoj Prabhakar, J. Srinath, Md.Azaharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar, all vow against communalism in this segment.

Culture stems out from the habitual behaviour of a community. The exhibition of SAHMAT has made a distinct mark by including variety of art form within it’s encompass.