Gen Next, the annual show of the Aakriti Art Gallery was conceived with the sole idea of promoting contemporary artists below forty years of age. Gen Next shows have revolutionized the concept of curatorial endeavor and brought about a change in the approach to the way of seeing. The show that was initiated in 2006 as the first anniversary celebration of the Aakriti Art Gallery, the core concentration was led by the commitment to promote young talent and project their works. It has been the motto of this gallery since foundation to search for novel possibilities and unique ideas, thus to conceptualize a different language in showcasing and endorsing artworks.
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Among its leading accomplishments in such a small span of time, the show 'Gen Next' holds a key role to enunciate the discursive platform in integrating the dynamism of creative minds beyond borders. Though the first year of Gen Next saw the union of artists of different faculties of visual arts mainly from the eastern fringe of the country that too prominently from Kolkata itself, the Gen Next II led the city as the most happening spot of promoting art, creating a distinguished position in the country; thus evolving a new wave in the art world. In 2007, the second Gen Next was an elaborative effort to profoundly bring in the young artists from all over the country to react on a single dais. It exploded in the form of a collective creative energy where thirty-seven young minds of the present generation expressed their artistic ventures at a single go. Gen Next II reached out to the vibrant audience of the country that shared the most effervescent experience in the medley of expressions with innovation, experimentation and freshness.
It was the success of the first Gen Next that encouraged us to go for the second dive. It‚s no tall claim but in actual facts and figures that the first two Gen Next have not only given birth to a new discourse of articulating and showcasing artworks but also led to the establishment of a number of young artists with a rising graph in their artistic career including the attainment of international fame. Few among them like Farhad Hussain, Birendra Pani , Debraj Goswami, Barun Chowdhury amongst others are already auction listed. Now what makes Gen Next III a call of the day goes without any explanation!
Gen Next III has been designed in an exclusive way with exhibition, workshop and open interactive sessions to form a complete panorama lifting this event to an international height. This is the first ever time that foreign artists from different continents are joining the show through an arduous selection process and not by any request or invitation. Around eight hundred entries had been received from all over the globe where artists below forty years of age had sent their profile and current works to get entry in the selection process. A panel of experts comprising artists, critics, and connoisseurs went for a rigorous grueling of their creative effort and finally forty out of them have been given the opportunity to participate in this alluring platform. According to Vikram Bachhawat , Director, Aakriti Art Gallery, "Gen Next III will display works selected after thorough assessment , taking into account diverse genre and visual aesthetics, while offering the viewer an enlightening experience."
Gen Next III holds the significance of a global phenomenon in outlining the cultural contour through different forms of visual arts. This time the exhibition will not only show paintings, sculptures, textile and fine prints but also include photography and video art, thus expanding the boundary of the conventional faculties of visual arts. Among the forty participating artists, twenty-nine come from different corners of India, and the rest eleven from USA (3), Italy (1), Poland (1), Canada (1), France (1), Austria (1), Bnagladesh (1), Pakistan (1) and Brazil (1). Only a handful of five among them are from Kolkata. And the most intriguing part of the third Gen Next is that most of the artists are getting the opportunity to open up in this type of exhilarating event of international stature for the first time, thus making the whole affair more challenging than ever.
The formal inauguration of Gen Next III is scheduled on October 1, 2008 at 6 pm. But the journey begins on a day before. On September 30, 2008, there was an interactive session between Gen Next participants, Art Experts and Media representatives at Aakriti Art Gallery. An Artists' Workshop between the Gen Next participants and a few established artists will be organized at Emami Chisel Arts, Kolkata from 11 am till 7 pm on October 2 -3, 2008 and an auction of the works done in the art camp will also be arranged at the Emami Chisel Art at a later date. The show will remain open till October 15, 2008 at the Aakriti Art Gallery from 11 am to 7 pm daily except Sundays.
Shaped in this exuberant package, Gen Next III is ready to stimulate a new dimension in the discovery of next generation artists. It's only an anxious wait for the moment to explode and unveil the enlightening onset of the creative journey of a generation to rule next.
IMAGE
K. Prasun Roy
Untitled
48.00 X 60.00 inch
121.92 x 152.40 cm
Acrylic & Rubber Relief on Canvas
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