How this nation-wide festival aims to make art more accessible to people beyond galleries

A visitor at the Chennai edition of the festival

The rules of taste enforce structures of power, wrote author and literary critic Susan Sontag, summing up every criticism levelled against artistic creations enjoyed by the masses. While the artistic world - cinema, theatre, music and visual arts - have often been divided into masses and classes, the sixth edition of Splash 2023, a nation-wide art festival seeks to change this perception. With exhibitions, displays and discussions across genres, ideas and forms, the festival hopes to catch the eye of the newcomers interested in art.

An artwork by Anshul D Sinha

Founded by 23-year-old architect Mittul Agarwal of The Art Hub, the festival is in its sixth edition and opens in the city this week after having travelled to Chennai and Jaipur earlier this month. "It is also part of the ongoing effort to break the barrier between the common people and art galleries. The hope is to reach out to the layman. We hope to help open their eyes to the kind of art they understand and like," Agarwal shares. This theme is captured in their motto - Kalaa har jagah (Art everywhere) - that also explores categories such as street art and urban sketches among others.

Preeti Chawan's abstract work

The three-day event will witness over 50 artists exhibiting works in landscape, portrait, abstract or personal art, as well as texture painting, refined interior works or ceramics. Agarwal, who founded the festival as a 17-year-old artist in 2018, notes, "Our focus will remain on local artists. We have a participation ratio of 80 per cent local artists, with others from across the country."

Mittul Agarwal

Now established as an annual festival, Agarwal has set his eyes on future expansion. "We hope to add more cities outside the usual art circuit such as Bhopal or Coimbatore in 2024. We will also spread the festival tours across several months to allow more leeway for people to attend. The idea, after all, is to spread aesthetics among the common audience," the founder remarks.

From: December 22, 3 pm (inauguration); December 23 and 24, 11 am
At: The Bombay Art Society, opposite Rangsharda Hotel, Bandra West.
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