To showcase the unique character of the experimental city, Auroville, Tamil Nadu, also known as the “City of Dawn”, the India International Centre is holding a week-long festival, “Auroville: City for Transformation” in the capital.
Auroville is a universal township, where people from 15 nationalities live together. Mirra Alfassa, “The Mother”, founded it as a project of the Sri Aurobindo Society in 1968.
The festival features contemporary arts including painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video by established and emerging Indian and international artists living in Auroville.
The formal opening of the festival in the city witnessed the presence of distinguished guests like Dr Karan Singh, chairman of Auroville Foundation, Sir Mark Tully, writer and chairman, International Advisory Council, Dr Aster Patel among others.
Speaking about the uniqueness of Auroville, Dr Karan Singh says, “Auroville is a city of dreams that all modern cities can draw inspiration from. Great personalities like Indira Gandhi, Abdul Kalam and Dalai Lama have all appreciated its concept and all that it stands for.”
“Today’s fast evolving socio-economic scenario makes it imperative that our young generation is exposed to revolutionary ideas, especially like Auroville and its experiments in urban design and architecture, afforestation and environmental concerns,” says Mark Tully.
The various artists participating in the exhibition include Priya Sundaravalli, Adil Writer, Cecilia Cortés, Chantal Gowa, Michel Nicolet, Pierre Legrand, and Sebastian Cortés among many others.
Bringing together spirituality with art in her works, artist Priya Sundaravalli, an Aurovilean, who is showcasing her pottery works says, “My works are inspired by the concept of dreamtime, where the past and the present coexist in the present moment. Clay as a medium aspires to manifest weightlessness, transparency, and a quiet beauty.”
Says artist Adil Writer, “My works take me to the magic and masti of the Indian subcontinent as I try and bring two mediums together, inviting one to touch, feel and experience the surfaces.”
The festival is on till September 21