Museum of Art and Photography to hold its annual art festival from November 30

The two-day Art is Life annual festival by the Museum of Art & Photography (MAPS), to be held from December 30, brings art, music and culture in myriad forms that will cater to differing tastes.

The two-day Art is Life annual festival by the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), to be held from December 30, brings art, music and culture in myriad forms that will cater to differing tastes.

“MAP is strongly committed to art and we believe that the collections in the museum belong to everyone. An event such as this gives us an opportunity to democratise the museum-going culture,” says Abhinandita Mathur, festival director, MAP.

Since festivals are a departure from the norm, “we are looking at Art is Life as a digression from the museum’s routine, to anticipating a lot of fun and participation with different things in art,” she adds.

Abhinandita and her team have curated events over a two-day period which fall into five categories — workshops, performances, flim screenings, guided walks, and talks and panel discussions.

The schedule has been structured to involve a wide range of visitors, and to this end, the team compiled programmes that would focus on people’s passions and their relationship with art. “For instance, there will be a panel discussion on the hobbies of Bengaluru such as the birder’s club, an astronomy club and one for quizzers. The city is known for its hobbyists and the panel is titled Beyond Nine to Five. It is inspiring to see how people with day jobs take out time for their interests and have built communities of like-minded people.”

Another interesting panel discussion is with family-owned photo studios such as Picture House and EGK & Sons that have been in Bengaluru since the early 1900s. “These are not only individual histories, but where personal histories merge with the history of the city through photographs, anecdotes and more,” she says.

The many performances of different genres that have been lined up are sure to draw music lovers. Among them is a recital by the Bangalore Harmonica Club, which “is a great example of how art brings people together in a sustained way. The performers are of different ages and walks of life who are all committed to art, and having found a common ground are finding a way to balance their lives and pursue their hobbies,” she adds.