Uttarayan Art Foundation is located in Jahspur village, about 25 km away from Vadodara. It is the brainchild of industrialist Mr Rakesh Agarwal. Although an exclusive centre, we were lucky to have the opportunity to visit it on the 16th of March, 2019 as an industrial visit for our course ‘Digital Cultures and New Media’. The objective, I believe, was to understand different kinds of mediums and how those mediums are used to express. The art centre was completely worthy of the long journey that we undertook. Hidden between huge agricultural and barren lands, Uttarayan Art Foundation is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. From the very first sight, all of us were completely taken by the sheer beauty, architecture, scenery of the centre. Every stop that we made in our tour of the centre didn’t fail to amaze us, not even for a moment. Having a strong inclination for nature, my first impression was the way the centre has been able to maintain a subtle amalgamation of urban beautification and the natural surroundings. With huge palm trees, bamboos, neem trees and plants like plumeria, the centre is a sight to the eyes.
Every nook and corner of the centre has been utilised in the most appropriate ways. For instance, a pebble bridge, by a Bulgarian artist, making its way to the Mahi river. The bridge gave us some very beautiful sunset pictures. The centre, along with a beautiful exhibition of artists, is also home to several bird species that could be seen roaming around the lush green gardens. We were first taken to the tribal art site. There were traditional huts, doors, set-ups, hand paintings from a number of tribal villages from different states in India. Not having an inclination of art, never before did I realise the richness of art forms and cultures in our country. Some of the artworks that were shown were Madhubani from Bihar, Warli from Maharashtra, Gond Art etc. The site also provides room for tribal artists across India to stay and work on their art. We were told that the structure of the rooms were actually homes of villagers that intrigued Mr Agarwal, leading him to borrow it for his centre. Although visually impressive, I did find it a little troubling. Exhibiting houses in the personal collection seems a little far off to me as well as an appropriation of a very personal sphere of the villagers’ lives.
The art centre also showcased various metal as well as earthen sculptures. Artists from across the globe visit the Uttarayan Art Foundation. Every corner had some or the other masterpieces on showcase. The artworks were so beautifully merged with the surroundings that it became difficult for us to differentiate the artworks and the immediate surroundings. After a while, even the most basic things like leaves, plants, stones or even an old car seemed like an art form to us. It was refreshing to see that a place like the Uttarayan Art Foundation exists boasting of diverse artworks, paintings, fine architecture, and efficient urban landscape. The fact that even a layperson like myself was so mesmerised by the landscape, means that the art foundation has been quite successful in educating people about the existence of diverse art-forms and works existing in India.
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