A three-day workshop on inter-disciplinary art practices in Visakhapatnam

Artist Anita Rao explaining about her work during the workshop on Interdisciplinary Art Practices at Department of Fine Arts at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam
| Photo Credit: KR Deepak

Postcards with sketches hanging from twisted wires, a collage of images of architecture of a bygone era, pieces of coal hung from threads — traces of the Old Town area of Visakhapatnam seeped into the works of the students of the Department of Fine Arts on display at Andhra University. This time the way the art works were depicted gave it a unique experience.

The display was the culmination of a three-day workshop on inter-disciplinary art practices conducted at the Department of Fine Arts. It saw some unique artistic perspectives portrayed in different mediums. While at most art exhibitions people come with fixed expectations of narrative, the exhibits sought to break that notion. The workshop was conducted by the Students’ Kochi Biennale and facilitated by visual artists K Mrudula and B Suresh.

A participant explaining about her work during the workshop on Interdisciplinary Art Practices at Department of Fine Arts at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

“The idea was to introduce contemporary art practices to the students where they can combine different mediums and arts to create their own perspectives. It gives scope for a rethink of usual conventions. We started by taking a walk around the Old Town area of Visakhapatnam where the students could bring out any aspect of the space by merging different mediums,” says K Mrudula.

‘Did you know that the pincode of the area 530001 gave rise to the place being called One Town Area?’ – one of the postcards showing a sketch of the Old Town post office had a handwritten note behind it. Anita Rao, a student of final year of BFA, presented many such some interesting facts about the Old Town area through her exhibit of a collection of postcards with sketches hung from twisted wires.

A participant explaining about her work during the workshop on Interdisciplinary Art Practices at Department of Fine Arts at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

M B Samyuktha, a second year MFA student, brought out the uniqueness of the architecture of the houses and streets of the place while combining it with burnt pieces of wood symbolic of the ways of life followed by the residents of the place.

Shashi Vadana, a differently-abled second year MFA student, expressed her fondness for Nature by depicting the ancient banyan trees on paper mache work.

The metaphorical display of the struggle her father did while working at the port in the Old Town was presented through pieces of coal hung from strings by G J Naneswari, a student of MFA second year.