BHOPAL: The new premises of Alliance Française de Bhopal at B-75, Shahpura was inaugurated on Monday by Yves Perrin, the Consul General of France in Bombay. On the occasion, an exhibition of paintings and sculptures, ‘Songs of the Forest” was also showcased. The exhibits are created by the emerging Gond artists of Madhya Pradesh. The exhibition will be inaugurated by the French Counsellor from the French Embassy. The idea of the exhibition is to showcase Gond artefacts like paintings, sculptures, books and film. The sculptors are made by Sukhanandi Vyam and Gangaram Vyam. A short movie about evolution of Gond art “Mythical reflections” produced by Vanya Prakashan, Bhopal and directed by Samrat Singh and Abhinav Dwivedi was also screened.
A preview of the book based on Gond folklore “L’éléphant volant” written by Padmaja Srivastava and illustrated by Rajendra Shyam was also discussed. The legacy of Jangarh Singh Shyam is carried forward by a whole new generation of Shyams.
The colourful world they paint seems to have found connect in other countries especially in France. Series of exhibitions and workshops are being held in different parts of France. Recently “L’arbre essence de vie” an exhibition based on the culture of 3 different tribes including the Gond was organized by a French non profit group “Duppata” in Lyon. This event promoted three women Indian artists. Many exhibitions have been organized in the past in France, to name a few are Magiciens de la Terre, Centre Pompidou, Paris 1989; Expéditions Indiennes, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris 1998. An expo Vernacular India is organised annually by the Gallery Hus, Paris, to showcase the art of various tribes of India.
