Arth: art for earth

Noah's Ark

'chilam' depicting falling raindrops

Artist Manav Gupta's first of a kind Global Public art Project on Sustainable Development ‘arth – art for earth’ on view till 22nd October at the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts , Ministry of Culture, Govt of India at 11 Man Singh Road, New Delhi.

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'Arth explores small truths and larger meanings of life.'

In Devanagari script ‘arth’ means ‘wealth’ and ‘meaning’. the artist's impressions of the travelling museum explore both meanings of ARTH in context of earth and its resources as our true wealth while on earth as humans and urge us to ‘stop a while’ and lead a life with environmental consciousness.

 Manav Gupta started experimenting with this idea of installations 5 years ago, constructing his work using basic ceramic terracotta, clay pottery and transformed it into avant-garde art. It miraculously and intelligently transforms craft to cutting-edge contemporary art even as it dips into the philosophy of ancient civilizations’ sustainable way of life, which respected the five elements and its city’s rivers.

Anyone who visits will intake the value of  living, sustainable development and how a never before use of the quintessentially Indian potter’s produce of the most humble rural clay objects such as the earthen lamps (“diyas”), local cigar (“chilam”), earthen cups (“kullad”) become metaphors and idioms of sustainability, context, perception and treatment of the rivers and waters of lands.

A reverie of form, and light, Manav's exquisite artworks are often described as exaggerated expressions of what is found in nature.
IGNCA's breath-taking landscape is the ideal home for such work.
Art according to me isn't about about making something pretty, it's art as long as it expresses some thought or emotion. But I feel Artist Manav Gupta has done it both - taking basic household things we could never think of reusing in art and creating something so awe-inspiring is absolutely marvelous. So I recommend everyone just go and visit and I promise you will be as inspired as I am.