In this issue

The pull of mythology is such that it wraps itself around us like an invisible shroud, defining us in rigid outlines filled with a shape-shifting mass of disappearing and reappearing ideas. Mythology isn’t just a floating island of stories irresistibly out of reach, but more like an iceberg – we see, react, debate, analyse and idealise the tip that stands out, forgetting most times of the unseen, immutable mass of history underneath. It’s within this paradox of static words and fluid meanings where mythology thrives, and that's what this issue of Arts Illustrated is hoping to unravel.
We look at mythology’s relationship with art – the literal, the subtle, the obvious, the nuanced – and how ancient stories – the lived and the imagined – become potent tools with which to situate our contemporary world. We focus on artists who offer us not mythology’s supposed irrefutability but its apparent accessibility, easy charm, comforting appeal and its resonating familiarity that cuts across the real and the fantastical with the grace of a slow dance, and the power of disappearing and reappearing rhythm.

Zarina: Weaving Darkness and Silence

A collage created with pewter leaf on Somerset Antique paper hung on the walls of Gallery Espace in New Delhi this February.

2 mins

DAMnedART

As far as I can remember, Chennai’s relationship with water has always been contentious.

2 mins

Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away

In 2010, Vietnamese-born Danish artist Danh Vo was offered a one-man show at the Fridericianum, a huge exhibition space in Kassel, Germany.

2 mins

Beyond Bricks

One of the most important festivals celebrated in Thiruvananthapuram is the Attukal Pongala offered to the Devi of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple.

2 mins

Comic Sans Influence

For a generation that grew up on Amar Chitra Katha comics that made our mythological stories ‘cool’ and accessible, the visual narratives are starkly telling of the ideologies that persisted then, and because of the timelessness of stories continues to persist today

7 mins

The Inside Story

In art and architecture, the myth becomes an antidote to oblivion, giving misplaced importance to private creation where – besides the building or the canvas – the artist or architect too becomes a figure worthy of worship

4 mins

Mind The Gap

Among a growing number of architects seeking to bridge the gap between conscious social interactions and aesthetic training is the Madras Office for Architects and Designers (MOAD) that focuses on situation-specific solutions

4 mins

Future Threads

If the narratives and stories designers and craftspeople weave into their textiles and clothing link past histories to current times, then trend forecasting in design quite imaginatively can be viewed as mythological stories about the future

5 mins

The Becoming

Ananya Kasaravalli brings in a rare form of sensitivity with her debut film – Harikatha Prasanga (The Chronicles of Hari) – that traverses the murky waters of mythology and gender with grace and confidence

7 mins

Transforming Meaning Into Form

In the volatile times we live in today, Devdutt Pattanaik’s My Gita and Shashi Tharoor’s Why I am a Hindu help us better understand what is commonly called ‘Hinduism’, the myths that shape it and the narratives that contextualise it

6 mins

Read all stories from Arts Illustrated

Arts Illustrated Magazine Description:

Arts Illustrated is an Indian based arts and design magazine dedicated to understanding the contemporary arts landscape and creating a more inclusive ecosystem for the arts in the country. It delves deeply into the visual arts and design narrative, offering a global and contemporary perspective to subjects, information and ideas that we believe, need to be heard by a larger audience. Our endeavour is to create an exciting read that reflects our ethos to inspire, evoke and enrich our readers. Our visually laid out chronicle of the creative landscape is published bi-monthly (once in two months) and is available across 12 key cities in India.