Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

There is perhaps no better advocate for art literacy in India than the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi. Apart from stunningly curated exhibitions, the museum is creating awareness about art through several art education outreach efforts.

When one thinks of education, art is not the most obvious subject that comes to mind. Art has, for some reason, perpetually been relegated to the realm of an extra-curricular activity, a hobby, a form of leisurely recreation. But, as history shows, art is more than just a beautiful picture on the wall. It is a document that speaks of the evolution of humankind. It is a reflection of its times. It has chronicled, over centuries, the adversities humanity has faced, the victories we have gloriously made our own, and our failures that we can learn from. All of this, however, has been pushed into the background and dismissed as mere aesthetics.

A major reason behind this debilitating gap is the lack of awareness about the purpose of art. After all, how does one value something that one doesn’t even know enough about in the first place?

It is this void that the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), over the last decade, has been consistently trying to fill with its art education outreach efforts through a variety of programmes. There are, of course, the stunningly curated exhibitions by artists that offer an unexplored perspective on the past, present and future — whether it is Vivan Sundaram’s show looking at communal politics, Revue’s thoughtful exhibition “What Place is Kitchen? What Place Community?” that dissected the concept of a community kitchen to unravel the social effects of migration on women and on food, or the exploration of identity and gender politics that was at the centre of the recent Anupam Sud retrospective chronicling the artist’s journey as an exceptional printmaker.

But a wholesome education in art comprises much more than bringing art to people within the four walls of a closed space, of which KNMA is acutely aware. The museum understands that a familiarisation and appreciation of the arts can be inculcated within the minds of young and old alike, only by making the consumer’s interaction with art intimate and immersive.

In that regard, the museum has, alongside its exhibitions, been regularly conducting a host of interactive activities, including but not limited to workshops, technical classes, storytelling, craftopia and heritage awareness sessions, allowing visitors to experience art up close and first hand.

Through its ‘Afternoon Lab’ segment, for instance, KNMA sheds light on the intricacies of indigenous art forms such as Madhubani painting, or the rich tapestry of Kutch embroidery. Workshops on clay pottery, batik, papier mache and Warli and Thanjavur paintings, not only instil recognition about the art forms, but also an in-depth understanding of them in a way that remains etched in one’s memory.

What’s more, KNMA’s education outreach efforts go beyond the visual arts. The weekends at KNMA and ARTxFashion series bring people closer to art in all its forms — theatre, music, dance and even fashion.

If you are ever looking to give art a chance, there’s perhaps no better place than KNMA to begin. Think education, think art, think KNMA.

KIRAN NADAR MUSEUM OF ART  145, DLF South Court Mall, SaketNew Delhi, Delhi 110017011-4916 0000
TIMINGS: 10:30 A.M – 6:30 P.M
WEBSITE: www.knma.in

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