Archives are just not enough…

Bhubaneshwar, in Orissa, would seem like a rather laid-back capital city for those who’ve lived in some of the fast paced metros of the country. But what stands out at every corner and along the length of the roads here is the fact that the city does more than its best to showcase its traditional art forms by making it part of the graffiti on compound walls. That’s not all. It also brags of not one, but three extremely well maintained museums — there’s the state museum, the tribal art museum and the contemporary museum — that can give tourists and visitors an impressive glimpse into the culture and tradition of the city, which could date back to 1,000 BC. Orissa is probably one of the very few states that can also brag of letting a section of their forests and its inhabitants (read tribal groups) untouched and unharmed even today.

Back in Bangalore, sorting out mails, which were lying waiting in my inbox while I was away, I came upon one from the India Foundation of Arts  (IFA) — a Bangalore-based research institute that have for years been painstakingly working towards keeping various aspects of India’s rich art and culture alive. This time around, it was an invite for a talk by art historian and writer Savia Viegas on artist Angelo da Fonseca — whose works are known to have given Christian art an Indian face.

Speaking with Savia soon enough, brought back the many thoughts that were running at the back of my mind when I was admiring the pieces showcased at the museums in Orissa. Do we really do all that is required — to preserve and publicise our culture and history? “When it comes to art, there have been individuals who have done significant amount of work in bringing about a level of awareness on the works by other artists. But there are innumerable number of artists and painters whose works have made quite an impact in their own, quiet way, but remain fairly unknown to the world. Angelo da Fonseca (1902-1967) is one such artist who I have had the privilege of meeting — he died when I was around 10. His work almost defied tradition at a time when Christianity — a religion originally from here — was re-inventing its Asiatic roots. Driven by the zeal to create something new, Fonseca’s work helps one visualise the transformation through his motifs, art that adopted certain mudras, local art, and even emotions — probably in the eyes of Mother Mary, etc. His works showcased the time when people around him saw to it that Christianity lived on, albeit in a new garb,” explains Savia, who currently lives in a village called Carmona in south of Goa.
Yes, the government does make its share of grants to researchers and scholars across the country, but Savia explains, “One is required to submit a report after the research, but whether the report is of quality or not is hardly a matter of concern. Also, what is the idea in doing all that work and then just having it archived? The privilege of a researcher is in the fact that his/her efforts results in its ultimatum — to present the works in public. Which is why, IFA is an institute of a kind. It ensures that all the work that it commissions is finally brought out and presented to people.”

You can listen in to Savia’s talk at 6.30pm this evening at the studio at No 1, Shanthi Road, Shanthi Nagar. Entry is free.