Whitefield Art Collective back in Bengaluru with ninth edition

The highlight of every edition of the Whitefield Art Collective is the Kala Car, an exhibit that showcases the creative and artistic prowess of art students. Over the years, this clever play on words has titled vehicles that have either been rescued from the scrap yard or sponsored or auctioned or all of the above.

The highlight of every edition of the Whitefield Art Collective is the Kala Car, an exhibit that showcases the creative and artistic prowess of art students. Over the years, this clever play on words has titled vehicles that have either been rescued from the scrap yard or sponsored or auctioned or all of the above.

This edition of the Whitefield Art collective, its ninth, has a Tesla taking the pride of place as one enters the venue. In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Tomorrow, Altered’, the car showcases the collective’s ethos. “There is nothing random about our selections for this art festival,” says Sumi Gupta, curator of the Whitefield Art Collective, adding, “And that includes the Kala Car too. The Tesla aligns with our vision as it is sustainable and electric.”

While past editions have seen artists Kalki Subramaniam, Pradeep Kumar and others work on the Kala Car, this year, the privilege went to art students. The car was shrouded in vinyl before it was painted. “It gives students a different medium to explore and create something visually impactful,” says Sumi.

She shares how the project is the cumulative effort of multiple students who are chosen based on their concepts that correspond with the theme for the year. The curatorial process takes months with a lot of fine tuning before it is finalised.

“We advise them on material, size, and other factors such as site conditions. Having held as many as 26 festivals in different parts of the country, we now know what works and what does not.” Besides that, the process of working on vinyl is time-consuming, says Sumi.

Put together by Sumi and her team, the Whitefield Art Collective comprises works by students of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Vogue Institute of Art and Design, Bangalore University, and the JD Institute of Design.