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Indian Express
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Know Your City: Bengaluru's Venkatappa Art Gallery returns with redesigned spaces, improved ambience and a hope to connect
The Venkatappa Art Gallery, alongside the Government Museum and Visvesvaraya Museum in Bengaluru, has long been a fixture on Kasturba Road, ever since former Karnataka chief minister S Nijalingappa laid its foundation stone in 1967. But considering the calibre of the artworks housed within, the building itself had seen better days. It has since undergone a comprehensive renovation under the Brigade Foundation, which had previously worked on the Indian Music Experience Museum, and has been reopened to the public since June. The first floor of the gallery houses the work of the artist who gives the gallery its name – Krishnappa Venkatappa. Walking clockwise through the exhibit, one is left with a remarkable impression of Venkatappa's life and how his art progressed over the years, beginning with simple botanical decorative motifs. Visitors can also get a close look at Venkatappa's thought process and inspirations through a series of sketches on display, such as the one on Ajanta caves. A beautiful collection of veenas also bears testament to his skill as a musician. While he is most known to the layperson for his work with plaster-of-Paris sculptures and reliefs, the gallery also houses a fascinating collection of landscape paintings by Venkatappa, depicting the countryside and mountains of places like Ooty and Kodaikanal. Also on display are the tools that artists of Venkatappa's time would have used, from bone and ivory carving tools to a large collection of old paints, dyes, and brushes. Perhaps the most striking displays are the sealed glass cases housing Venkatappa's relief art in plaster of Paris, depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The works of K K Hebbar, another doyen of art in Karnataka, are to be found on the second floor. Many of his works here focus on the lives of rural people, in scenes ranging from Kashmir to Dakshina Kannada. Several excellent oil paintings by him are also on display, foremost among which is a work symbolising the Nagharadhane or serpent worship custom of South Karnataka. Other works take a more mystical tone, representing elemental forces such as flame and sky. Also of interest are sketches from his visits to Japan and Bali, accompanied by some of his written thoughts at the time. The building now also includes three extra galleries on the ground floor intended to host temporary art exhibits. The corridors outside the main galleries currently host a series of wooden sculptures by the late Major C P Rajaram. Brigade Foundation trustee Vineet Verma, in a statement to The Indian Express, said they decided to take up the renovation of Venkatappa Art Gallery when its chairman M R Jaishankar's attention was drawn to the place's dilapidated condition. 'After receiving the required approvals from the government, we hired domain experts to redesign the spaces in keeping with the high standards required of a prestigious art gallery. Valuable inputs were also taken from senior artists who have for long been an integral part of Venkatappa Art Gallery,' he said. Brigade Foundation has renovated the gallery and handed it back to the Department of Archaeology, Museums & Culture which will be responsible for its operations, maintenance & upkeep, Verma added. 'They are conscious of the fragile nature of some of the works and have already appointed two curators to take care of the gallery and all the art. They have also retained INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to help take care of any art that may need restoration from time to time.' Sandeep J of Architecture Paradigm, the firm which worked on the project, said they felt that the public area surrounding the gallery could also be utilised. 'The building was originally erected in several phases and had its own set of problems, including a lack of maintenance and weathering. The way Venkatappa's story was told was very matter-of-fact.' 'I have seen school kids during our initial study walking right past the paintings. They weren't told anything about them. That was a real issue – how the story has to be told, how the idea of it being a state gallery had to be represented,' Sandeep said. As part of the changes, the rear courtyard, which had earlier been completely cluttered, was cleared. He added, 'Our intent was that outdoor spaces can also function like galleries or informal spaces, from the idea of what a public space needs to be.' Visitors to the Venkatappa Art Gallery can enter by paying a fee of Rs 50 at a counter outside the building. Photography is permitted.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Watch: A tour of the renovated Venkatappa Art Gallery in Bengaluru
Located inside the beautiful Cubbon park, the Venkatappa Art Gallery holds a special place in the history of Bengaluru. The Government of Karnataka inaugurated the iconic art gallery in 1975. It was dedicated to the great artist Shri K. Venkatappa. He was a pioneer in painting, Plaster of Paris works and an exponent of Veena. In January 17, 2024 the Brigade Foundation of the Brigade Group started the restoration work of the gallery. It included repairing the museum's infrastructure, including civil repairs, public amenities, and enhancing gallery displays. The external landscaping was also improved. The Galleries now showcase works of artists K. Venkatappa and K.K. Hebbar, alongside five mini galleries featuring rotating exhibitions. The renovated facility also features a restoration room which provides conservators with tools to maintain and restore artworks. The building now has a cafe space too. The renovated art gallery will now be officially transferred to government authorities for maintenance.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Hirebenakal eyes Unesco heritage tag through site upgrade
Koppal: Development initiatives are being planned at Hirebenakal, a 3,000-year-old megalithic site in Gangavathi taluk, with the goal of securing Unesco World Heritage status. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Situated 40km from the district headquarters, it requires a 10km uphill trek to reach the archaeological site. The site, under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Hampi Circle's protection, sits atop a castellated granite hillock, accessible from 3km southeast of the village. British officer Philip Meadows Taylor first discovered these monuments in 1835 while serving at the court of Nizam of Hyderabad. He presented the site internationally through a research publication in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Locals describe the site, spanning over 20 hectares, as 'Morera houses'. The site's information board indicates these stone structures were built as memorials for the deceased. Some suggest Stone Age dwarfs inhabited these house-like formations. A large pond exists near the structures, indicating Neolithic Age inhabitants, primarily farmers, occupied this area. These rock tombs and cave art are currently on Unesco's World Heritage tentative list. The site houses the second-largest collection of monuments after Madhya Pradesh's cave paintings. Termed 'Rock monuments of early man', numerous well-preserved tombs exist here. Experts estimate approximately 500 tombs at this megalithic site. The site displays rock paintings depicting dancing, hunting, and weapon-wielding figures. Additional artwork includes geometric patterns and mystical designs of deer, peacocks, humped bulls, bullocks, horses, and cows. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If properly excavated, more important things can come to light at this site," says Dr Sharanabasappa Kolkar, a historian from Gangavathi. A hemispherical kettledrum stone, strategically positioned on a hillock, measures 2.2m in diameter with 1.5m radial height. It sits on a 10m high monolithic boulder with a beating surface. When struck with stone or wooden implements, it produces musical sounds audible beyond 1km. Dr Sharanabasappa Kolkar mentions that during Rajnish Goyal's visit, the Kalaburgi regional commissioner, in 2010, they proposed including the site in the Unesco World Heritage list. The archaeological department forwarded the application, but Unesco rejected it. "Due to persistent efforts, two years ago, Unesco added the Hirebenkal megalithic site to its provisional list, and we must accelerate efforts to secure its place on the permanent list," he emphasised. Tourism minister HK Patil, during his recent visit, announced plans to develop the site to international standards. He assured that govt would undertake all necessary steps to achieve World Heritage List recognition. Additionally, Patil announced that to educate Bengaluru residents about the site's importance, they would organise a photographic exhibition of the rock tombs at the Venkatappa Art Gallery by Aug 15. Plans are under way to conduct further research within a 5km radius of the hill.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
More than 200 artists gather at renovated Venkatappa Art Gallery in Bengaluru
A day after the formal inauguration of the renovated Venkatappa Art Gallery, about 200 artists, including ones from the Venkatappa Art Gallery forum, gathered at the venue and held a 'Gallery Pravesha.' The artists who congregated at the renovated gallery marked the event by cutting ribbons and exploring the new additions there. 'After a struggle of 10 years, we can now proudly say Bengaluru has a superb art gallery,' said Kumar, Karnataka Lalithakala Academy president. Left out from the list The artists had boycotted the formal inauguration by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Tourism Minister H.K. Patil, after the invitation from the gallery and the government failed to mention artists from the State. Those who stayed away from the formal event included senior artists like S.G. Vasudev. 'We have been raising voices for the renovation of the gallery for the last 10 years. Core committee members were consulted at every stage of the work, but for the inauguration, we were left out. Not even senior artists or Academy heads were invited,' said Sheela Gowda, core committee member of the Venkatappa Art Gallery forum. Senior artist Krishna Setty remarked that the 'gallery pravesha' was a symbol of solidarity amongst the artist community. 'As per protocol, 55 names were there in the initial invitation. Not a single artist was mentioned in that list. Only when we made a hue and cry did they add the names of a few artists. But we had already made a decision. Only very few artists took part in the formal inauguration, whereas more than 200 artists are here today.' Importance of public spaces Several artists expressed happiness that the original building and the character of the place were retained during the restoration work. Sandeep J., principal architect at Architecture Paradigm, which worked on the restoration, was felicitated during the event. Talking about the work, he noted that restoring the gallery was a challenge given its legacy and the number of stakeholders involved. 'For me, what was of utmost importance was the fact that this is a public space. We had to restore it and give it back to the city. While you are talking about the development of the city, you also need to take into account the quality of life. Spaces like these are important for that, and not just the infrastructure,' he said.
New Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Will fix traffic woes, improve Bengaluru: Dy CM DK Shivakumar
BENGALURU: Traffic is the only big concern for Bengaluru, and we are addressing the issue to ensure the city becomes a popular destination. The government has allocated Rs 1 lakh crore to improve Bengaluru's traffic and infrastructure with the construction of flyovers, better roads, tunnel road and the Metro over the next three years, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said here on Thursday. He said tourism and cultural competitions will be started in schools and colleges, and programmes held during the holiday season in December-end to create awareness about Karnataka's culture and tourism. Primary education and tourism departments should work together to encourage the youth and integrate tourism and culture into education. Shivakumar said the government is open to suggestions from people, students, artistes and experts on improving Bengaluru, Karnataka and governance. 'We are an open-minded government. We welcome suggestions, criticism and solutions, and seek cooperation from citizens and experts to improve the state and Bengaluru,' Shivakumar said. He was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the renovated Venkatappa Art Gallery. The gallery was renovated by Brigade Foundation at a cost of Rs 10 crore. The premises has three permanent galleries and two open galleries, apart from an audio-visual room and an AI-enabled souvenir section. Tourism, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said private agencies and individuals should come forward to partner with the government to improve tourism sites. He said: 'With the government undertaking restoration in Lakkundi, there are many heritage sites that can be restored by private firms. We are keen to offer 4-5 temples in Lakkundi alone to private firms for restoration partnerships.' On Shivakumar's suggestion, Patil said the tourism department will explore water bodies and guesthouses under the irrigation department to be utilised for tourism. With the Brigade Group requesting that one gallery be named after the company, Patil directed the tourism department to make a proposal and submit it to the government, to be discussed in the cabinet.
