Art Bahrain Across Borders, (ArtBAB), Bahrain’s premier contemporary art fair & curated artists program under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of the King of Bahrain, debuted in India yesterday with its first art exhibition in New Delhi. 18 selected Bahraini artists enthralled art aficionados & other guests with the display of their exclusive artworks under the theme ‘The Unsaid’, curated by the famous Indian artist Dr Alka Raghuvanshi.
The guest of honour was Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of Culture, Environment, Forest and Climate change. The event was also attended by eminent personalities from different fields like politics, fashion, art and corporate. The exhibition will go on till 11th October 2017.
The exhibition comprises of exquisitely executed paintings and sculptures that showcasewhat is left unsaid and the significant space it occupies in the creative context. ArtBAB’s artist program was launched last year in May 2016 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Speaking at the sidelines of the event Shaikha Maram Bint Isa Al Khalifa, the director of the office of Her Royal Highness Wife of the King of Bahrain said, “We are extremely delighted at this opportunity to showcase Bahraini artworks in New Delhi. India has a long and rich history of art and culture. This cultural interaction will surely have a positive impact not only on the artists that are showcasing but also on the larger art scene in the region.We are confident that our association with India will go a long way and foster a connect between creative enthusiasts from both the countries while also stimulating investment and economic activity in the arts and cultural sector.”
Kaneka Subberwal, Fair and Programme Director of ArtBAB, said, “We are proud to organize an art exhibition for the first time ever in India and develop a connect with Indian art enthusiasts. This initiative has the potential to grow much grander and accommodate more talented artists in the future. ArtBAB not only provides a platform for Bahraini artists to showcase their work globally, it also acts as an umbrella for the creation of a common space for galleries and artists across the globe to associate with collectors and art aficionados. We wish to empower artists by taking Bahrain to the global art industry and bringing the global art community to Bahrain.”
Dr. Alka Raghuvanshi, curator of the exhibition, said,“This is a commendable initiative by ArtBAB and being the curator for the show is a huge privilege for me. The exhibition explores the artistic and creative dimensions of the artists’ mind which is their creative mainstay. For artists, landscapes are not mere visual manifestations of a geographical mass but spaces for the creative impulse to blossom more by way of mindscapes that change, remain, expand in the mind.”