Summary: “I enjoy working with people who are not in the art world and showing them the numerous possibilities for art that exist. For those who walk into Jaipur’s 283-year-old Nahargarh Fort and marvel at its history, there is now another unexpected attraction: contemporary sculpture. The park’s curator Peter Nagy hopes the venue introduces contemporary art to a wider audience. The park aims to strengthen contemporary art in a region predominantly known for its history and heritage. On December 10, Rajasthan’s chief minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, inaugurated a one-of-a-kind sculpture park inside the fort’s Madhavendra Palace.
For those who walk into Jaipur’s 283-year-old Nahargarh Fort and marvel at its history, there is now another unexpected attraction: contemporary sculpture. On December 10, Rajasthan’s chief minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, inaugurated a one-of-a-kind sculpture park inside the fort’s Madhavendra Palace. The project, a public-private venture between Saat Saath Arts, the government of Rajasthan and corporate houses, took a year to set up. It houses 40 sculptures by Indian artists like Jitish Kallat, LN Tallur, Thukral & Tagra and Manish Nai alongside works by French artist Arman, American artist James Brown and British artist Stephen Cox among others. Visitors will be able to take in a giant spiderweb by Reena Kallat, Subodh Gupta’s old remodelled ambassador car, and multi-coloured papier-mache work by Manish Nai. The park aims to strengthen contemporary art in a region predominantly known for its history and heritage, As Reported By Hindustan Times.
According to the Newspaper, It’s also a reason to get visitors to keep coming back to the fort. “We need public spaces for art to use culture as a conduit for job creation, tourism and economic growth,” says Aparajita Jain of Saat Saath Arts, which supports exchange between India and the rest of the world through the visual arts. Malvika Singh, the cultural advisor for the government of Rajasthan, says it is important for the government to look at how historical sites can be used for present-day exhibitions and performances. “It is only when a sense of pride is generated through such rekindling and reinvention of public domains, that conservation becomes real and a priority,” she says. Across the world, sculpture parks have become a way for visitors and locals to appreciate the location and new art. In the US, the DeCordova Sculpture Park outside Boston has more than 40 gigantic colourful sculptures across woodland.
Hindustan Times Mumbai Tue,12 Dec 2017
https://www.nyoooz.com/news/mumbai/982983/in-an-ancient-jaipur-fort-ndash-a-new-connection-to-contemporary-art/
