The eighth edition of the Whitefield Art Collective will begin this weekend at VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Main Road. This year, the month-long event themed ‘Future is Now,’ will feature over a 100 installations as well as exhibitions, collaborations and more.
According to Sumi Gupta, curator of the Whitefield Art Collective (WAC), the future is not a distant vision. “It is unfolding in front of us in real time. There has been a lot of innovation in technology with Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and much more. We wanted to see how art can embrace all these changes and still remain relevant, creating things that are pertinent to society,” says Sumi.
Sumi believes art and creativity can co-exist with technology. “When we first started using computers, everybody feared art would die out as it could be created with the aid of technology. But what happened was that original art forms remained and new expressions of art came about. A whole new genre of art was created and we need to embrace it.”
“We need both art and technology to shine a light on multiple topics that are important for the future, be it sustainability or climate change, inclusivity or identity or freedom of expression and speech. Art can be a catalyst for driving change and encouraging conversations,” she adds.
Exhibits from last year’s edition of the Whitefield Art Collective
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
In a run-up to the festival, WAC in collaboration with the British Council presented Five Films for Freedom, a curated selection of LGBTQIA+-themed short films, that are being screened from March 23 to 30. The movies presented under Five Films for Freedom have been made by filmmakers around world, and have been globally screened as a set of five.
This year, Kalki Subramaniam, a LGBTQIA+ activist has painted the Kala Car, a flagship feature of WAC where its unveiling marks the inauguration of the event.
Apart from promoting inclusivity, this edition of WAC includes international collaborations with the likes of UNESCO, which will be presenting an exhibition called The Braided River, using photographs to showcase Indian women in science.
Another exhibition titled Hey, amplifies the voices of neurodivergent and differently-abled artists. “Photography is a powerful means by which one can educate, encourage, and open people’s eyes to different things,” says Sumi, adding, “WAC is about this convergence of technology and artistic expression that we all thought would happen in the future, but is actually happening now.”
Exhibits from last year’s edition of the Whitefield Art Collective
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
While a visit to the Collective is day-long, or even multiple-day affair, Sumi says it is hard to pinpoint which exhibits or sessions should be on one’s must-see list. “There is so much to take in, I would encourage everybody to come and experience it, in order to gain a perspective on how deep and layered this festival is. Besides, I doubt any other art festival is hosted on such a scale in a shopping mall, anywhere in the world.”
This one-of-a-kind art festival is supported by not-for-profit initiatives such as the Yuj Foundation, and in partnership with Virtuous Retail. The aim of WAC is to encourage student artists by giving them a platform to showcase their work and bring the community together, says Sumi, adding, “It is also an eye-opener for the public and other like-minded souls to see such creativity on display.”
“Students are encouraged when more people view their work and it also gives rise to more collaborations that can benefit the community,” she says.
Apart from painting, installations, photographs and sculptures, WAC will feature interactive events such as a puppet show, literary events by the Whitefield Literary Society, the Basement Art Project showcasing works by students from Bangalore University and more, such as coffee brewing and hairstyling workshops.
The Whitefield Art Collective will be on from March 27 to April 28, 2025, at VR Bengaluru, Main Road, Whitefield. Details of events, sessions and schedules are on www.vrbengaluru.com and social media.
Published – March 26, 2025 06:47 pm IST
