In this issue

Arts Illustrated turns five, and so, the theme for this anniversary issue is simply the number ‘5’. What are the different, quirky, literal, unpredictable, far-fetched, believable ways in which this number of balance can be interpreted? How far is it going to take us; and, more importantly, how delightfully fun is the process going to be?
In the past five years, we have looked at various themes and met artists who gave us surprising perspectives, but one common thread that bound them all together was that we kept the themes relevant to the reality of our times, and that’s how we defined the ‘contemporary’ in the art. With ‘5’, too, no matter how we choose to interpret it, it will continue to deeply question, engage and deliberate over the things that shape our world.

A Beast, A God, And A Line

Famous French historian Marc Bloch’s 1949 book The Historian’s Craft begins with a simple yet poignant phrase: ‘Tell me Daddy. What is the use of history?’ Years later, Serge Gruzinski, another French historian, chose to contemplate the same question in his 2015 book L’histoire, pour quoi faire? While Bloch discussed what constitutes history and how it should be configured, Gruzinski took the discourse a bit further and incorporated it within contemporary narratives.

2 mins

International Print Biennale, India

MARCH 26 TO APRIL 22, 2018, NEW DELHI

2 mins

Beyond Transnationalism: The Legacy Of Post Independent Art From South Asia

Last year, the UN Refugee Agency’s annual Global Trends study concluded that war, violence and persecution have uprooted more men, women and children around the world than at any time in the seven-decade history of UNHCR.

2 mins

(Dis)Orientation & Dis(Sonance)

More often than not, outdoor art exhibitions with public sculptures and installations are created for spaces that have been designed with a specific purpose in mind – the spaces are usually already built with the idea of exhibiting art.

2 mins

Art Is All I See

At Dr. Pradeep Chowbey’s four-storey house, there is art in every nook and corner. A laparoscopic surgeon by profession and Chairman of Max Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, Dr. Chowbey says he has a heightened visual awareness. With some of the most significant works of Indian modern masters like M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza and Ram Kumar adorning their walls, I met Dr. Chowbey and his wife Susmita over a cup of coffee at their beautiful South Delhi home

4 mins

Down The Road Of Stories

Discovering Auckland’s mood in graffiti with a walk down K-Road gives a colourful recap of the city’s past few decades

5 mins

How Do I Draw Thee?

What’s in a number? A lot, it would seem, especially when we are dealing with the people-pleasing number 5 in our newly launched humour column

3 mins

The Science Of Sculpted Stories

Within old stone walls are hidden stories of great craftsmanship and ancient science balanced on indigenous engineering, and the mathematical genius of the number five and its many fascinating connections.

4 mins

Watch Me If You Can

Italian photographer Leonardo Pucci’s first artistic solo exhibition titled ‘Episodes (without a real border)’ captures stolen moments of intimacy that find its balance – sometimes precarious, sometimes profound – in the minds of its viewers

6 mins

Black, White, Red And Grey

Appupen’s fourth graphic novel ‘The Snake and the Lotus’ set in the fictional world of Halahala, is a quiet reminder of a dark reality, one that is as scarily familiar as it is unfamiliar

4 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.