Canvas Chronicles

The rise of art-cations is elevating conventional vacations into a therapeutic medium of catharsis and transformation for the soul, finds Hasina Jeelani

- Hasina Jeelani

Growing up in a Bengali household in the 1990s, aanka shekha or drawing lessons were a quintessential rite of passage. But Gargi Sen Gupta, a Chennai-based change consultant, never quite derived any joy from the mundane lessons. Her surprise was rather justified then when she found herself picking up rocks from a stream with fifteen other strangers to create a collective artwork on a large canvas.

Today, when she looks back at the art-based retreat organised by Project Aaina in the idyllic hill station of Coorg, she realises that it was no ordinary vacation. "When we picked up those paintbrushes, we were not just painting, but rather, articulating what was going through our heads. Far removed from the gimmicks of over-crowded touristy spots, an art retreat like that truly cleanses the mind, body and soul," she says.

Sen Gupta's words are evocative of a larger legion of travellers seeking something more substantial from their holiday itinerary than a postcard-perfect snapshot for the 'gram. It comes as little surprise then that art-based tourism is emerging as one of the most prominent travel trends for the year. But rather than consuming art passively at a gallery, a new wave of art-themed retreats are aiming to encourage people to reconnect with their inner selves and elevate the conventional sun-and-sand itinerary into a transformative vehicle for catharsis.

Aloha, Art-cations