26/11

At a time like this following the COVID 19 pandemic social order, most of the art circles and critics and curators are talking about new ways of bringing art to the public. Probably better to mention, as it is often spoken these days, ‘alternative space’.  Most art discussions on social media hint at this or sometimes promote it. I recall an event I organized along with a small peer group, alumni of College of Art, Thiruvanathapuram at Bengaluru in 2010, titled 26/11. It was a new curatorial possibility under the banner of ALTBL Art Collective. Six artists, Jyothilal T G, Surendran P. Karthayan, Vijayagopal C, Dr. Shaju Nellai (Ph.D), Baalakrishnan V.P. and I, exhibited together at this ALTBL space in Bangalore The show was initially meant for two days but looking at the public response extended for another seven days.

A note about the project stated, ‘ALTBL Art Collective is conceived as an interac­tive space for photographers and artists to meet and exhibit their work in an informal manner. The objective of ALTBL art collective is to function as a facilitator between a set of stakeholders in the Art world that includes artists, connoisseurs, critics and writers, curators, gallery owners and buyers. We look forward to showcasing a series of exhibi­tions in the near future and 26/11 is a humble step towards that.’