Cholamandal Artist VillageHistory Cholamandal Artists' Village, established in 1966, is the largest artists' commune in India, whose artists are credited for the Madras Movement of Art (1950s–1980s), which brought modernism to art in the South India. Their work is widely recognized as some of the best art produced in postwar India, and is shown regularly in galleries across the country; in fact several Cholamandal artists have also shown in Europe, the United States and South America. Situated at village Injambakkam , 9 km from Chennai, it has over twenty resident painters and sculptors, who live as a community and pool their skills; they also run the Artists Handicrafts Association, a cooperative which manages the village and sale of works through the the permanent exhibition at the complex, which includes paintings, sketches, terra-cotta/stone/metal sculptures, batiks and handicrafts etc, made by the artists living the village, making the village a self-supporting entity. The community was founded by K C S Paniker, the principal of the Madras School of Arts, along with his students and a few artists associated with the college. It used the `art-meets-craft' approach where artists made handicrafts for a living even as they pursued their art. By 1970s, the village became self-sufficient, and grew into one of the most important meeting places for international artists in India, and today, it remains one of the few artist-driven movements in India. Four decades on, it is one of the few artists' colonies in the world to survive successfully and its foundation remains one of the "10 biggest art moments" in India. Cholamandal Artists’ Village is situated on the East Coast Road, some eight kilometres further south of the Chennai city and about 18 kms from Chennai city center. The place represents an important arts centre in the state of Tamil Nadu. Cholamandal Artists’ Village is built over eight hectares of land in the Injambakkam region which exists as an extension of the Chennai city. The place stands on the coastal plains of Chennai and lies close to the sea, Bay of Bengal. Cholamandal Artists’ Village is a great tourist destination in the vicinity of the popular metropolitan city. The Cholamandalam Arts Village has a permanent art gallery to hold exhibitions. Sculptures made of granite; wood, copper and bronze are created within the Artists Village. The open-air theater is a platform for performing artists or even poetry reading sessions and dance recitals. Indian arts such as batik and pottery and painting are seen in the myriad articles and works done by the artists of the Cholamandalam village. You can view or purchase interesting pieces in terracotta and batik. In fact Cholamandalam has grown to be an important hub or meeting place for international artistes in sylvan surroundings. The place can be accessed by taking a bus to the Injambakkam township. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the place in a bus. Visiting Hours: 10.00am to 7.30pm Shilpa Architects The Cholamandal Artists village named after the ancient Chola kings who were great patrons of Art as is evident from their magnificent temples in their capital (Tanjore). The Chola's influence spread to the corners of Asia and the rest of the world. In 1965, the Madras Movement of Art crystallized around the legendary KCS Paniker who along with likeminded Artists set up their residences and studios in a rural setting on the sandy beaches of the Bay of Bengal. The Artists Village is acclaimed as among the successful and surviving art communes in the world. In the beginning there was an Artists Gallery in a modest structure of thatch. With international acclaim and growing stature the Artists wanted to exhibit their signature works in a permanent structure. A core team of great artists comprising of Nandagopal, Senathipathi, Gopi and Senthil coordinated the project. An important criterion was to design the structure without affecting the trees, and the sculptures in the landscape. The first design wrapped the volute shaped structures around them. The team opted for a more contemporary structure in tune with the skills of the local masons and craftsmen. The display areas were maximized in rectilinear shaped galleries with natural daylight and high ceilings. The galleries opened to the gigantic trees and the sculptures blended into the landscape. The common entry led to the Gallery and the Museum that each opened out as two wings from the entry space. The staggered placement of the two display areas helped retain the existing landscape. The larger wing, housed the permanent exhiibit area and the museum area of the building. The focus of the design was to get as much natural light as possible while cutting out the glare and heat. This was achieved by orienting the openings to get in the glare free lighting from the north. The building was treated with exposed brickwork and concrete. No additional plaster or painting was envisaged. The lofted spaces in the museum/ permanent exhibit wing, overlooking the lower level spaces, navigates natural light into all corners of the building. Art is considered a lonely job because it usually ends in competition and friction. But not anymore. Sneha Kakodkarfinds that Cholamandal Artist’s Village has been helping artists live alongside each other and contribute to each others’ success since the past 40 years. Of the numerous students who attend art schools, only a few get to pursue their dreams to become painters or sculptors. Even the most talented are lost to industry or teaching. With this concern, the students of Government School of Arts & Crafts, Chennai, approached their principal, K. S. Paniker. This enthusiastic bunch, who were very passionate about their art, asked him, “Where will we find such a beautiful, inspiring campus after college?” They were worried that even part-time work or teaching art would take away their freedom, and end their artistic dreams. Another obstacle was that Chennai predominantly supported cultural arts and recognition through fine arts was quite rare. In trying to find a solution, Paniker stumbled upon the idea of creating an artist’s village. There were only two requirements. One was land, the other capital. Capital idea! A French man Jean Tierre wore flamboyant shirts and when asked where he bought them from, he revealed that buying clothes was boring. He purchased the silk, used paint on it and took pearl buttons from his mother to complete it. Paniker, the visionary, saw the untapped demand for such innovation in fabrics and taught the students batik – a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. The first batik exhibition was a sellout and raised money to buy 10 acres of land on the outskirts of Chennai. Paniker believed that a man may not kill for his wife or kids, but he would kill for land. Therefore, the precondition to membership was that every artist had to own a piece of land, large or small depending on his or her capacity to spend. The vision of the Artist’s Village turned into reality in 1966, with a society of 40 artists. The Cholamandal Artist’s Village has been home to many world-renowned artists such as V. Vishwanathan, Akkitham Narayanan, S.G Vasudev, and Reddeppa Naidu. Art for art’s sake The land was uninhabited, yet very serene. The closeness to the sand and sea, protection from the scorching heat of the city provided by casuarinas and the air filled with the music of the birds was an inspiration to the artists. Being far from the city had many disadvantages but being en route Mahabalipuram, a major foreign tourist destination, had greater benefits. The idea was to encourage artists to be financially independent by using their skills to make batik tie and dye products, jewellery, and metal work and brass products. The flexibility of working from home gave them the necessary time to devote to their art. Picasso believed that an artist should think about his art all the time and the Artist’s Village provided the opportunity. Paniker along with his students played a huge role in creating an identity for art in Chennai, thus giving way to the Madras Arts Movement. The village which only had huts, has turned into an artist’s haven. The permanent gallery has a fabulous display of paintings, graphics, drawings and sculptures. Its open-air theatre, created from a sunken pond, now hosts over 300 spectators during music, theatre or dance performances. Musicians who have performed here include Dr. M. Balmuralikrishna, M.D. Ramanathan and N. Ramani. Famous dancers include Alarmel Valli and Leela Samson, and Maurice Bezzart of the Belgian National Theatre presented a ballet based on the Siva-Parvati theme. Theatre artists Badal Sircar and Koothu-PPattari also performed here. Luminary alumni There is a workshop for batik and metal work and several guesthouses are rented out to art aficionados. Artists who stay here for a year get to showcase their work at the gallery alongside its permanent members. Nandagopal, the renowned sculptor and permanent resident of Cholamandal, explains, “All artists have insecurities. I take more than a year to complete my sculpture and feedback is often very useful in enabling me to make changes at an initial stage.” He started the International Sculpture Camp in 1979. It is a platform to invite sculptors from different countries to live at the village, to feel inspired and to create magnificence. These camps are conducted every two years and sculptors are discouraged from using power tools. They are encouraged to enjoy with their families, experience the Artist Village and create the sculpture over two months. Some of well-known artists such as Sir Anthony Caro and Francisco Kleminsky have created amazing pieces of art here. Others participants include Queen Mother Juliana of the Netherlands, Princess Wisdon Ali of Jordan, Andrez Wawrzynisk, Jeannie Auboyer, and Simone and Andre Bonjaiboult. Cholamandal Artists' Village is a community of artists who imagined creating an environment conducive to artistic growth. The idea they come up with was to set up a village where like-minded people could live together and creatively influence each other. This quixotic idea was realised with the artist's own funds and they made the natural setting even more delightful. Part of Cholamandal Artists' Village is an art gallery that displays the works of residing artists. Also within these confines is an open air theater named 'Bharathi', where regular discussions and seminars featuring learned artists are held. When K.C.S. Paniker and his students set up the Cholamandal Artists’ Village on eight acres by the sea 8 km south of Adyar Junction in 1965, they could not have envisaged that their collective vision would survive a generation. Or that over a dozen of its 40-odd individuals would attain a global reach. Even less, that their achievements would be commemorated with the inauguration of the 10,500 sq. ft. Cholamandal Gallery of Contemporary Art Complex in February 2009. Centrestage within the gallery’s mezzanine floor is a 1957 oil on board, Genesis, by Paniker, predating his more identifiable abstract phase. A fitting tribute, indeed. The great banyan and the open-air sculpture gallery. All around the 3,600 sq. ft. K.C.S. Paniker Museum of the Madras Movement are glimpses of significant markers seldom gathered under a single roof. The 1,600 sq.ft. Cholamandal gallery on the ground floor offers visual insights into how the casuarinalined sand morphed into an ideational community. Unlike government-funded artist settlements in Israel and Cuba, the colony has been self-sustaining since its inception. The present complex, over three years in the making, is surrounded by an international sculpture garden, and celebrates the past as it toasts the future. How tough was it to get the gallery, designed primarily by Sheila Sriprakash of Shilpa Architects with inputs from Devan, off the ground? Entrance – the Cholamandal Centre for Contemporary Art. An initial sale of two grounds of land brought in Rs. 17 lakh, but the community had to raise approximately Rs. 75 lakh for the complex. Artists donated works for a fundraiser. Art patrons pitched in to sustain the vision. Two compact commercial galleries, poetically namedLaburnum and Indigo, would generate income and partially shift the art scene away from the city centre. Being added to the complex are an exotic, yellowthemed, quasi-Mediterranean cafeteria, an art bookshop and a craft shop. Even a 2,600-sq.ft terrace space that can be rented for events. K.C.S. Paniker Museum of the Madras Movement. Today, perhaps, Cholamandal needs to pause to ask itself: Is it too early to build a monument to a movement? When will its impact be documented in depth? Will the inheritors of its legacy value its import, given the current state of art education? Meanwhile, it can mull over a poetic image presented by V. Viswanadhan at the inauguration, of a group of young artists who slept under the stars by a mud track, guarding the building materials for their village. When they awoke, a tender green shoot caught their eye. It was the genesis of the great banyan at the entrance to their dream space. An exterior view of Indigo and Labernum Galleries. It was from such arching vision, propelled by selfbelief, that Cholamandal was born. Inspired by the towering banyan, but never daunted by its shadow. – (Excerpts from an article by Aditi De in The Hindu Business Line) Shiraz Cafe. Footnote: Thirty painters and sculptors have acquired land for themselves in order to be able to work in comparative peace. Here the artist paints or sculpts through the major part of the day and applies himself to a congenial art-craft during leisure hours to supplement, if necessary, his income from the sale of paintings and sculptures. Cholamandal is perhaps the first of its kind anywhere in the world. It is administered by an annually elected council of members. Cholamandal welcomes visitors to the village. It has a twin guest cottage. CMI Arts Initiative Each year, the Chennai Mathematical Institute offers two non-Indian Sangam House alumni the opportunity to be Writers-In Residence at the Institute through their Arts Initiative Program. The residency periods run for 6 weeks each, between January and March each year. Writers have independent accommodation at Studio Arnawaz and Ammu Cottage in Cholamandal, the Artists Village and have office space at CMI. During their residency, writers interact with the CMI community as well as with other writers and literary organisations in the city. History Cholamandalam Artists Village was conceived by the renowned artist, Panicker. When it came into existence, the swanky ECR or East Coast Road was a narrow road that connected a multitude of fishermen’s hamlets. Why the name Cholamandalam, one may ask. Well, it is to honor the Cholas, whose contribution to Tamil Nadu’s art and culture is indisputable. When Cholamandalam came into being, it was home to about 40 artists who fashioned their very own art space and dedicated their lives to art. Cholamandalam is today a dynamic space where art is created on an enduring basis. Whether it is classical or contemporary art, this artists’ village offers a platform to all strains of art. Cholamandalam is unique; it is the first place of its kind globally where artists have come together to pursue their art in sylvan surroundings. To Do At Cholamandalam The Cholamandalam Arts Village is a fascinating place with its picturesque environs close to the shores of the turquoise waters of the Bay of Bengal. The village hosts a permanent art gallery to hold exhibitions. So if you are into art, whether for investment purposes or just for the love of the subject, this is a place you should visit. There is a lovely, airy open-air theater which serves as a platform for performing arts, be it theater, dance or even poetry readings. Sculptures fashioned out of an array of mediums like granite, wood, copper and bronze are created within the Artists Village. Cholamandalam Artists Village has two gallery halls, one in the ground floor and first floor and the other one is a small air-conditioned building neighboring the main gallery. The village is a hotbed of artistic ventures and you can pick up unusual pottery or works of art in batik or terracotta. This sylvan hamlet has developed into an important focal point for international artistes. It hosts a variety of fairs and exhibitions to create awareness about India’s dying or lost arts. If you are an art buff, Cholamandalam is a must visit. You can pick up exclusive works of art and also souvenirs for gifting. Shiraz Art Cafe : "From Persia With Love" This weekend, we drove to the Cholamandalam Artists Village at East Coast Road, Chennai. Located amidst the sculpture garden in the Artists village, one cannot miss Shiraz café with it's bright yellow and white exterior and tall French windows. The café is run by Nasrin – a charming and friendly lady and her husband Farhad, who are from Iran and have been in India for over 30 years– While Farhad takes care of their art workshop through the week, Nasrin cooks some of the delicacies herself and plays the perfect hostess. The café is named “Shiraz” after a place in Iran which is known as the “the poetic capital of Persia” and is known for its famous poets and many gardens. As you enter the café, you can’t help yourself admiring the simple and welcoming décor that adds to the warm and homely feel in the atmosphere. The striking yellow wall paper with its mosaic like pattern, little objects of interest, the fresh flower arrangements, the shelves adorned with crockery and soft music flowing in the back ground set the scene. The couples’ love for glass and artwork is evident from the various paintings and stained glass paintings tucked in the place - the brilliant stained glass works are done by Nasrin’s husband Farhad himself …!! The relaxed and laid-back setup of the café, the reasonably priced lip-smacking food and the hospitality and service extended by Nasrin makes this café a perfect place where one can chill out on a lazy Sunday afternoon with family and friends and devour on unique Iranian flavors …. !!