For its 21st edition, Chithra Santhe will feature ovet 1600 artsits. (chitrasanthe.in)
Every year in January, the streets of Bengaluru’s Kumara Krupa Road transforms into an artist’s paradise. Yes, we are talking about Chithra Santhe, the city’s flagship art event which brings together artists from across the country who will display various artworks — from watercolour, oil and acrylic works to Mysuru and Tanjore traditional paintings, Rajasthani and Madhubani style art work, among others.
The 21st edition of the art fair is set to take place on Sunday, 7 January, 2024. The event– a collaborative effort between the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP) and the Department of Higher Education, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
This year, the Santhe is dedicated to Indian space scientists, recognising their contributions to the space research projects.
“For every edition, the theme is picked according to a relevant topic from the previous year. For the 19th edition, the theme was Covid- 19 warriors. The next one was a dedication to the farmers of India. This time, we thought it’s fitting to honour the achievements of our space scientists after the success of the Chandrayaan mission,” says Shashidhar SN, secretary of Karnataka Chithrakala Parishath.
For this edition, the team received an excess number of applications, close to 3000 of them, says Shashidhar.
“Normally we have the space to allocate 1200-1300 stalls. But because of the excess applications we received, we are putting up over 1600 stalls this time so that more artists get the opportunity,” he tells South First.
This edition will be held on a longer stretch still Shivananda Circle steel flyover. (chithrasanthe.in)
There will be artists from from 22 states across India.
The selection process of participants was entirely online. “We created a special website for the purpose. Those interested had to fill up a form and upload three images of their artworks. We had a three-member committee of senior artists to check the quality of the works. Based on that, artists were selected,” he adds.
Out of the total number of applications, 7.6% were from specially-abled artists, and 6% from senior citizen artists.
“We will be having over 207 specially-abled artists and 163 senior citizen artists at the Santhe this time. We want to accommodate everyone with the purpose to encourage them and provide them an opportunity and platform to showcase their work. There has been no selection criteria for them,” Shashidhar notes.
While the art stalls will be set up as usual inside the KCP campus on Kumara Krupa Road and Crescent Road, additional 300 stalls will be set up in Seva Dal ground as well as the service roads under the Shivananda Circle steel flyover from Shivananda Circle to Gururaja Kalyana Mantapa. This is to cater to the needs of the huge number of applicants and to create dedicated spaces for specially-abled artists and senior citizen artists.
The Santhe will honour India’s space scientists. (chithrasanthe.in)
Additionally, to solve the parking hassles of visitors, this time, BMTC metro feeder buses will function from B R Ambedkar, Vidhana Soudha, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, Majestic and Mantri Square Sampige Road Metro stations to Chitra Santhe.
“The entire Kumra Kuppa Road closes down for the event and people have an issue with parking. So to make it easier for them, we requested the honourable transport minister to provide metro feeder buses from nearby Metro stations,” shares Shashidhar.
Besides, mobility app Namma Yatri will deploy 30 women-driven autorickshaws to provide last-mile connectivity to artists and the visitors for free. There will also be food stalls for the visitors, with arrangements for specially-abled artists and senior citizens.
Having started on a small scale in 2003, Shashidhar shares how Chithra Santhe has become a crucial platform for art.
“We started small. There were very few artists who wanted to participate. Some of the senior artists were reluctant to participate. They were not comfortable putting up their work in the streets. There was a little bit of resistance as well. Today, established artists, senior artists, art students, hobby artists, everyone looks forward to this event,” he shares, adding that artists from 18 to 80 will be part of the event.
Of the total number of applications, 7.6% were from specially-abled artists, and 6% from senior citizen artists. (chithrasanthe.in)
It’s also an in important platform, especially for those who don’t have access to galleries.
“Normally for artists, the only platform for them to showcase and sell the artwork is a gallery. They have to book a gallery, pay rent to do an exhibition. It’s difficult to get access as they have strict screening criteria. Money goes in commission. For a common man, particularly an artist from the rural area, it’s difficult to do an exhibition that way. From that perspective this is a great opportunity,” he explains.
Here at the Chithra Santhe, artists can showcase and sell the artwork without any charges.
“The stall is absolutely free. We even provide free breakfast, lunch, and snacks to the artists. And for those coming from other states, we even provide accommodation for one night,” he adds.
