ART OUTREACH PROGRAM
of the
VISUAL ART COLLECTIVE (VAC)
ART OUTREACH‐creating a network of art historians and practicing artists who will reach out to art institutions in rural areas through contemporary art practice and theory in rural art colleges in Karnataka.
The VAC intends to have community outreach programs to fill the gap between urban and rural art practice. Our aim is to be an alternative, experimental lab for creative collaborations. We wish to create a discursive space that will nurture dialogue, debate and an informal learning space outside and within the Academy.
We will also encourage process and complement theory with practice through workshops on site. This project will create a non‐hierarchical work situation where dialogue, exchange and transfer of information are possible. Through the workshops we hope to empower rural artists and introduce them to the larger contemporary art milieu.
This is close to the agenda of KHOJ International artist association‐New Delhi‐our patron and partner who supports the South Asian network consisting of an exchange program with artists from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bangalore.
1 Aims / Objective / Goals of project
The main aim of this art intervention is to make rural art colleges more proactive and equip them with contemporary information, nurture creativity, and to foster critical and curatorial support to rural artists. Through the program and workshops VAC hopes to share art information with rural artist
VAC‐Visual art collective wants to create a discourse beyond the urban boundaries of art practice. Our intension is to open up new possibilities for art teachers and students so that they may be able to articulate new ways of thinking and seeing. In this sense VAC will as work as catalysts for change to support their aspirations to be part of the contemporary Indian art scene.
The art historical content with a social and political context will provide the audience with a better understating of visual languages, and the politics of representation, and the freedom to choose from local material and concepts. We want the course material created in this project to be used to further educational art resource by teachers.
2. Brief description of project:
India's diversity that is also its strength does not allow for equal distribution of Knowledge and culture because of its geography. Art education today continues with a colonial tradition‐ urban centric and concentrated in cities. Most institutions impart art education that has a colonial overtone with an emphasis on Eurocentric art history. The students have less or no access to contemporary postcolonial theory, politics of representations, social awareness, new media and material and post‐ modern art history. We want rural artists to look at their identity and traditional crafts as a visual language to challenge hegemony of western art practice.
Regardless of the above situation, some exceptional talent has emerged out of rural areas that do not have access to technology, cultural theory and art history. To bridge the distance between Theory and Practice we wish to expand our resource centre for interaction, to the rural areas.
A bunch of likeminded art historians and artists who will network and travel will become the agents of change.
Sharing knowledge is challenging, one has to negotiate it with the academic structures of art school, outdated syllabi and myopic visions, which are not open to change. The model of visual artwork shop that VAC propagates is practice complemented with theory. With evangelist zeal we wish to make new converts who will reassert a new vision and visual language that is well articulated.
3. Methodology / Implementation of project:
Slide talks on four components: Body and gesture‐politics of representation, gender and sexuality, self portraiture; Landscape with images from the history of contemporary art practice from India/Asia/world; Still life‐a contemporary retake of the genre; New media and material.
Dialogue, discussion and workshop with students and other rural artists.
Practical workshop situation with local teachers.
Critique and mentoring.
Some of the important semi‐urban centers in Karnataka where art schools are located have been identified. A map will be created and periodic tours with resource people will be conducted.
Reading/text reading sessions to enhance interactive learning amongst students.
Pamphlets/ Brochures/ Small booklets and C.D’s with the slide presentation in local language, would be given to students as workshop material (BILINGUAL in Kannada and English)
A web page or an interactive blog will be created to closely follow up and keep in touch with participants of the workshop. The webpage will also update various activities and happening in urban centres.
The programme would help students to develop networks with artists, galleries, institution etc. To help them stay in touch with the professionals and the art scene outside educational institutions.
4. Time frame of project
Each program would cover four institutions/towns and would be of two modules of three months each ‐ one at the end of the academic year (February – April) and the second phase at the beginning of the next academic year (June – August).
5. Projected output of project
To redefine art practice and theory in the rural sector.
To create an opportunity for interaction with contemporary theory and practice
To bring in practicing artists to participate in sharing their work and experiences.
To look at the social, political context of art and find alternatives that can address local issues
To give an opportunity to a rural generation that needs to be exposed to the world of contemporary art beyond galleries and museum, and make the rural artist open to public art and intervention
To encourage them to question and dialogue beyond local pedagogy and local teaching methodology that limits their creativity
To create a link between non-urban and urban art centers and bridge the great divide.
6. Who is your target audience for your project?
Rural art students and art teachers will be the primary targets. We wish to foster critical, archival and curatorial support pedagogy in institutions. We also want to create a new audience for contemporary art in these areas.
7. How do you propose to disseminate information about the project to your target audience?
Through personal contacts with principals of art institutions, teachers and regional artists
The media – vernacular/local press, radio and maybe TV.
C.D’s with PPT presentation with specific themes and concepts will be presented to the art institutions before the workshop dates.
Posters
Local coordinators and support.
Blog that carries the educational material and information from the project information will be bilingual or will be communicated in local language of Kannada.
Local media‐using bullock carts, auto rickshaws with megaphones to advertise the coming project.
8. How do you think your project will create impact on the art communities/the cultures that you want to engage with? How will it develop the field of your art form?
Through this project we intend to bridge the gap that exists between urban and rural art practice and change the way of teaching and practice of visual art in the rural areas. We will permanently impact the teaching of art history in the rural areas and bring the rural artist into the mainstream of art education. This historical imperative will enhance the quality of art education in the state to empower and create avenues for the rural artists.
When rural artists, imbued with the essence of Indian living traditions meet modern art teaching practice and art history, the result will be an explosion of new art forms that coalesce the tradition and modern; the urban and rural, the past and the future
Exposing the rural artists to Alternative models of art practices; of building Collectives, community spaces; alternative art spaces for engaging with the local communities; networking and individual studio exchange initiatives. This is important in regards to building the confidence of artists and art students in engaging with self‐ driven initiatives.
This will undoubtedly create a democratic and inclusive creative situation in our contemporary cultural landscape