Hornbill International Public Art Festival is Nagaland's first International Public Art Festival as part of the annual Hornbill Festival held from 1st to 7th Dec '11 at the Kisama heritage village & Kohima. This ambitious project is an initiative by the Shelter Promotion Council, India who were responsible for Sikkim's first International Public Art Festival held earlier this year in Gangtok, called Blooming Sikkim 2011.
This unique effort of bringing contemporary art to public spaces in second tier cities is the brain child of Sayantan Maitra, who is the Curator & Artistic Director for the art festival at Sikkim as well. Theja Meru, a musician and an entrepreneur based in Kohima, is the main Organiser & Event Manager from the Rattle and Hum Music Society, Nagaland. The Art Festival is being supported by Swiss Art Council: ProHelvetia ,Lalit Kala Akademi and NSACS , Nagaland State AIDS Control Society .
In a first of its kind attempt, this public art project aims at getting contemporary and subversive artists from not just the North East, but the whole country and also abroad, to address the current environmental as well as socio-political issues and create awareness through the medium of art. In the tradition of large successful festivals such as those held internationally, this festival hopes to raise consciousness by the arts in response to urgent ecological and social issues affecting Nagaland and the world.
This unique effort of bringing contemporary art to public spaces in second tier cities is the brain child of Sayantan Maitra, who is the Curator & Artistic Director for the art festival at Sikkim as well. Theja Meru, a musician and an entrepreneur based in Kohima, is the main Organiser & Event Manager from the Rattle and Hum Music Society, Nagaland. The Art Festival is being supported by Swiss Art Council: ProHelvetia ,Lalit Kala Akademi and NSACS , Nagaland State AIDS Control Society .
In a first of its kind attempt, this public art project aims at getting contemporary and subversive artists from not just the North East, but the whole country and also abroad, to address the current environmental as well as socio-political issues and create awareness through the medium of art. In the tradition of large successful festivals such as those held internationally, this festival hopes to raise consciousness by the arts in response to urgent ecological and social issues affecting Nagaland and the world.
ARTIST’S PROPOSALS
Both National,International and Naga Artists will have to send their proposals of the kind of Art Installations and Art works they want to present keeping in view of the theme, issues, culture, ecology and other factors of present Nagaland.
Andre Jean Pierre Fanthome
The youngest of 3 photographers to have received the coveted National Academy Award for Visual Art, for Fanthome every photograph is a deliberate and often an emotionally charged reaction.He is a photographer of the old school, believing that every photograph carries with it a responsibility, not to the viewer, but to the moment being captured.
At Nagaland, pictures from the artist's private collection 'Dhuan' will be showcased in the forests between Kohima and Kisama. Different interpretations can be derived from these photographs which are closer to fine art than photography itself.
David Lalmawia aka ZINE
David is a graffiti artist from Mizoram and Delhi with the tag "ZINE". On the professional front Zine has had the opportunity to work with Max Mueller Bhavan where he painted on a canvas as part of the ongoing photo exhibition entitled "Outsider".Always having played an active role in the New Delhi hip hop scene, he organized the city's first Meeting of Graffiti Writers on July 30th 2011, a milestone that has helped in building the graffiti scene in the city.
At Nagaland, Zine is planning to bring his spray cans, along with probably a few other friends commonly known through the walls of Delhi.
Dipyaman Kar
Dipyaman developed a taste and interest in form and space in sculpture,during his training in Rabindra Bharati University, which gradually led him to site-specific art practice.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an installation using archaeology to comment and question on the loss of Naga traditions and history after Christianity.
Gigi Scaria
A sculptor, painter and video artist, Gigi's work has been included in group exhibitions around the world. He has participated in artists residencies at CCA7 (Caribbean Contemporary Arts), Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, Khoj International artists association and Unidee, at Cittadellarte, Foundation Pistoletto, Biella, Italy.
At Nagaland, the artist will play his 2008 short film 'Panic City' based on Delhi before the Commonwealth Games, a symphony on the urban chaos that defines Indian cities today.
ILLUSION IN MOTION
A multidisciplinary firm, Illusion in Motion looks to further the process of creative arts in the country by facilitating festivals, events, shows and carnivals in the country.
At Nagaland, their artwork involves an interactive mapping of the streets of Kohima.
Lanu Pongen
One of the most famous Naga artists of contemporary times, Lanu works on various mediums from sculptures to paintings and is in a constant state of self exploration.
At Nagaland, his sculptures depicting human greed, corruption and the depreciating quality of life would be showcased.
REVUE
Revue is an ensemble of artists Sreejata Roy and Mrityunjay Chatterjee. The duo have been collaborating on various art projects for last four years. From their first collaborative venture,City Invisible- a two part residency at Khoj, they have collaborated on numerous occasions in India and abroad for community based art and public art projects.
At Nagaland, the artists will put up an artwork made up of a telescope. Metaphoric of the way the rest of the country views its north east counterpart, the telescope shows us that we may have already decided what we want to see.
Riyas Komu
Komu graduated with Painting as his specialization and has since than extended himself to sculpture, photography and video installations. His work draws from the public domain, depicting an element of political disquiet. For Riyas, art is a medium for social comment on the situations the world is facing today.
At Nagaland, the artists work would comprise his recent paintings and sculptures that propose a bold re-formatting of the genre of portraiture. Komu’s portraits are close-up shots of nameless and dispossessed individuals redeemed, visually if not materially, from the flux of life at the margins of globalization.
Ruth Buck
In her works, Ruth goes beyond the margins of art genres and operates in different art media. She produces tactile works, conceptual works with words, photo light boxes and soundscapes.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up her soundscapes of bird calls at an urban or geographic setting as alien to the source of these sounds as the sounds would be to the location.
Sanchayan Ghosh
Sanchayan is a young artist and pedagogue in the Painting Department of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan who has been involved in various public art experiments and site specific installations.
At Nagaland, the artist's work 'Alder Shelter'is an interactive installation in relation to the evolving landscape of Nagaland and its youth. Reflecting on the creative musical talent of Nagamese youth he plans to make a massive interactive light and sound installation structure which will be activated by a guitar played live by the visitors .The basic structure of the installation will be made out of pieces of alder tree that constitute the core of the Nagaland landscape and its environment.
Sujay Mukherjee
A Printmaker by practice, Sujay has been participating in various shows, residencies and workshops for the last six year, along with teaching in design colleges and institutes.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up his artwork, created from mass produced Chinese Spiderman toy superimposed with the locally made plastic horse, in the display window of a music store. Consisting of 3D prints and a 4 channel animation loosely based on the popular children's tale “The Emperors New Clothes”, the artwork is a satirical piece on globalization and the new power structures.
Suman Bhattacharya
AIM: To purify dirty water and make it fit for consumption for Christians, Hindus and Muslims
METHOD: Traditional filtration process
APPARATUS: Three traditional Naga earthen pots- one filled with coal, the second with sand and the third with gravel; Tripartite division at the bottom with a separate tap for each religion
Susanta Mandal
Though trained as a painter, Susanta has always shown a keen sensitivity to forms and materials. This has manifested itself in his mature works that are kinetic sculptural installations, sometimes referencing the flatness of painting but also involving ephemeral materials. His machines are always low-tech and their mechanisms are exposed.
At Nagaland, the artist will use the language of his previous project ‘A Routine Scrutiny’. In this work, portraits of Naga people, fragmented cityscape, and textures of wall, skin, everything will be captured and assembled together under various movements of lenses, to talk about the scrutiny that people from the north-east states face in a city like Delhi.
TAXI
“TAXI” was formed in 2007 by Suman Samajpati & Sourav Roy Chowdhury. They collaborate to work in varied media- Video, Photography, Hand-painted photography & Sound.
At Nagaland, the artists will bring along their video 'Swimming Around', presenting a series of city scapes with a fishbowl placed in different locations of the city at different times of the day. Showing the fishes ceaselessly going round and round the glass bowl, the artwork tries to explore the ultimate claustrophobia, monotony, alienation and stagnancy we achieve as we go about our lives in the glittering, attractive, mammoth metropolis that apparently promises to offer a plethora of choices.
Temsuyanger Longkumer
Born in Nagaland, India, Temsuyanger is a contemporary Anglo-Indian artist active in London. He has worked in different media including drawing, print, sculpture, installation and video.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an interactive video installation, Portrait of a Dance II. The projection consists of shadows of Naga dancers dancing in a circular movement. The viewers are encouraged to step into the dance by matching the footwork of the shadows resulting in the shadows becoming a part of the viewer and the viewer a part of the projection.
Vibha Galhotra
The artist works with a variety of media, ranging from print-making to painting, animation videos and site-specific installations. Galhotra's work frequently addresses issues of urbanization, exploring the various relationships between city and citizen.
At Nagaland, the artist will bring along her traveling public art installation 'Neo Monster'. A gigantic inflatable earth mover made of gold fabric, it is a social sculpture on new construction and destruction of the environment, which takes on different meanings with the changing setting and context.
Vikhor Tepa
Vikhor Tepa is an artist currently based in Kohima, Nagaland. Deeply inspired by the landscape, customs and narratives of Nagaland, his paintings of village life, traditional belief systems, and food habits seek to capture indigenous culture and to highlight the ways in which it is changing in modern times.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an installation using bamboo and steel pipes, to highlight the onslaught of ad hoc construction on the ecology of the area.
Vishal Rawlley
Vishal started his career as a storyboard artist for feature films, going on to make documentary films, while also practicing as a graphic designer and new-media artist. Working as a media-practitioner for over a decade, he is actively engaged in research and experimentation in areas of popular media and urban sub-culture.
At Nagaland, the artist will use his sound and light technology to create an interaction between the user and the artwork through local motifs and crafts.
Both National,International and Naga Artists will have to send their proposals of the kind of Art Installations and Art works they want to present keeping in view of the theme, issues, culture, ecology and other factors of present Nagaland.
Andre Jean Pierre Fanthome
The youngest of 3 photographers to have received the coveted National Academy Award for Visual Art, for Fanthome every photograph is a deliberate and often an emotionally charged reaction.He is a photographer of the old school, believing that every photograph carries with it a responsibility, not to the viewer, but to the moment being captured.
At Nagaland, pictures from the artist's private collection 'Dhuan' will be showcased in the forests between Kohima and Kisama. Different interpretations can be derived from these photographs which are closer to fine art than photography itself.
David Lalmawia aka ZINE
David is a graffiti artist from Mizoram and Delhi with the tag "ZINE". On the professional front Zine has had the opportunity to work with Max Mueller Bhavan where he painted on a canvas as part of the ongoing photo exhibition entitled "Outsider".Always having played an active role in the New Delhi hip hop scene, he organized the city's first Meeting of Graffiti Writers on July 30th 2011, a milestone that has helped in building the graffiti scene in the city.
At Nagaland, Zine is planning to bring his spray cans, along with probably a few other friends commonly known through the walls of Delhi.
Dipyaman Kar
Dipyaman developed a taste and interest in form and space in sculpture,during his training in Rabindra Bharati University, which gradually led him to site-specific art practice.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an installation using archaeology to comment and question on the loss of Naga traditions and history after Christianity.
Gigi Scaria
A sculptor, painter and video artist, Gigi's work has been included in group exhibitions around the world. He has participated in artists residencies at CCA7 (Caribbean Contemporary Arts), Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, Khoj International artists association and Unidee, at Cittadellarte, Foundation Pistoletto, Biella, Italy.
At Nagaland, the artist will play his 2008 short film 'Panic City' based on Delhi before the Commonwealth Games, a symphony on the urban chaos that defines Indian cities today.
ILLUSION IN MOTION
A multidisciplinary firm, Illusion in Motion looks to further the process of creative arts in the country by facilitating festivals, events, shows and carnivals in the country.
At Nagaland, their artwork involves an interactive mapping of the streets of Kohima.
Lanu Pongen
One of the most famous Naga artists of contemporary times, Lanu works on various mediums from sculptures to paintings and is in a constant state of self exploration.
At Nagaland, his sculptures depicting human greed, corruption and the depreciating quality of life would be showcased.
REVUE
Revue is an ensemble of artists Sreejata Roy and Mrityunjay Chatterjee. The duo have been collaborating on various art projects for last four years. From their first collaborative venture,City Invisible- a two part residency at Khoj, they have collaborated on numerous occasions in India and abroad for community based art and public art projects.
At Nagaland, the artists will put up an artwork made up of a telescope. Metaphoric of the way the rest of the country views its north east counterpart, the telescope shows us that we may have already decided what we want to see.
Riyas Komu
Komu graduated with Painting as his specialization and has since than extended himself to sculpture, photography and video installations. His work draws from the public domain, depicting an element of political disquiet. For Riyas, art is a medium for social comment on the situations the world is facing today.
At Nagaland, the artists work would comprise his recent paintings and sculptures that propose a bold re-formatting of the genre of portraiture. Komu’s portraits are close-up shots of nameless and dispossessed individuals redeemed, visually if not materially, from the flux of life at the margins of globalization.
Ruth Buck
In her works, Ruth goes beyond the margins of art genres and operates in different art media. She produces tactile works, conceptual works with words, photo light boxes and soundscapes.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up her soundscapes of bird calls at an urban or geographic setting as alien to the source of these sounds as the sounds would be to the location.
Sanchayan Ghosh
Sanchayan is a young artist and pedagogue in the Painting Department of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan who has been involved in various public art experiments and site specific installations.
At Nagaland, the artist's work 'Alder Shelter'is an interactive installation in relation to the evolving landscape of Nagaland and its youth. Reflecting on the creative musical talent of Nagamese youth he plans to make a massive interactive light and sound installation structure which will be activated by a guitar played live by the visitors .The basic structure of the installation will be made out of pieces of alder tree that constitute the core of the Nagaland landscape and its environment.
Sujay Mukherjee
A Printmaker by practice, Sujay has been participating in various shows, residencies and workshops for the last six year, along with teaching in design colleges and institutes.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up his artwork, created from mass produced Chinese Spiderman toy superimposed with the locally made plastic horse, in the display window of a music store. Consisting of 3D prints and a 4 channel animation loosely based on the popular children's tale “The Emperors New Clothes”, the artwork is a satirical piece on globalization and the new power structures.
Suman Bhattacharya
AIM: To purify dirty water and make it fit for consumption for Christians, Hindus and Muslims
METHOD: Traditional filtration process
APPARATUS: Three traditional Naga earthen pots- one filled with coal, the second with sand and the third with gravel; Tripartite division at the bottom with a separate tap for each religion
Susanta Mandal
Though trained as a painter, Susanta has always shown a keen sensitivity to forms and materials. This has manifested itself in his mature works that are kinetic sculptural installations, sometimes referencing the flatness of painting but also involving ephemeral materials. His machines are always low-tech and their mechanisms are exposed.
At Nagaland, the artist will use the language of his previous project ‘A Routine Scrutiny’. In this work, portraits of Naga people, fragmented cityscape, and textures of wall, skin, everything will be captured and assembled together under various movements of lenses, to talk about the scrutiny that people from the north-east states face in a city like Delhi.
TAXI
“TAXI” was formed in 2007 by Suman Samajpati & Sourav Roy Chowdhury. They collaborate to work in varied media- Video, Photography, Hand-painted photography & Sound.
At Nagaland, the artists will bring along their video 'Swimming Around', presenting a series of city scapes with a fishbowl placed in different locations of the city at different times of the day. Showing the fishes ceaselessly going round and round the glass bowl, the artwork tries to explore the ultimate claustrophobia, monotony, alienation and stagnancy we achieve as we go about our lives in the glittering, attractive, mammoth metropolis that apparently promises to offer a plethora of choices.
Temsuyanger Longkumer
Born in Nagaland, India, Temsuyanger is a contemporary Anglo-Indian artist active in London. He has worked in different media including drawing, print, sculpture, installation and video.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an interactive video installation, Portrait of a Dance II. The projection consists of shadows of Naga dancers dancing in a circular movement. The viewers are encouraged to step into the dance by matching the footwork of the shadows resulting in the shadows becoming a part of the viewer and the viewer a part of the projection.
Vibha Galhotra
The artist works with a variety of media, ranging from print-making to painting, animation videos and site-specific installations. Galhotra's work frequently addresses issues of urbanization, exploring the various relationships between city and citizen.
At Nagaland, the artist will bring along her traveling public art installation 'Neo Monster'. A gigantic inflatable earth mover made of gold fabric, it is a social sculpture on new construction and destruction of the environment, which takes on different meanings with the changing setting and context.
Vikhor Tepa
Vikhor Tepa is an artist currently based in Kohima, Nagaland. Deeply inspired by the landscape, customs and narratives of Nagaland, his paintings of village life, traditional belief systems, and food habits seek to capture indigenous culture and to highlight the ways in which it is changing in modern times.
At Nagaland, the artist will put up an installation using bamboo and steel pipes, to highlight the onslaught of ad hoc construction on the ecology of the area.
Vishal Rawlley
Vishal started his career as a storyboard artist for feature films, going on to make documentary films, while also practicing as a graphic designer and new-media artist. Working as a media-practitioner for over a decade, he is actively engaged in research and experimentation in areas of popular media and urban sub-culture.
At Nagaland, the artist will use his sound and light technology to create an interaction between the user and the artwork through local motifs and crafts.
