A few weeks back, I was leaning by the wall of a popular coffee shop on the second floor of one of the trendiest malls in South Delhi, waiting to meet Martin Gurvich. That was not a likely rendezvous place for an interview on a topic such as ‘spiritual in Indian art’ but again, a crowded place is just the venue to test if your newly-acquired Zen approach to life is working or not, isn’t it? I, therefore, was waiting in happy anticipation to meet the man who, presumably, knew more about my country than I did, and who had already dedicated an entire museum to the spiritual art of India.Gurvich, the director of Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) in Septon, Belgium, didn’t exactly turn out to be what my mind had visualised. Clad in a fine silk kurta and a jacket, he lit up the walkway when he arrived, because he was wearing such amazing calm on his face that I instantly forgot I was in the middle of the flashiest place in New Delhi surrounded largely by people who were practising the art of hedonism.An active member of the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON), Gurvich has pumped all that he has into what is currently on view at the spacious galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi. That’s the contemporary world’s expression of spirituality through art. It’s a multi-level celebration of the man’s visualisation of what he thinks is God, titled “The Sacred Arts Festival”. It comprises an exhibition of art, music and dance performances, workshops, lectures, live demonstrations, art film screenings, discussions, gallery walks and educational events spread over five weeks. A film has also been commissioned, directed by Goutam Ghose, to capture artists across India at work, in order to help understand their aesthetics and working methods. The mainstay of this project is an exhibition called “Forms of Devotion: The Spiritual in Indian Art,” comprising 300 works by over 150 artists chosen from over 3,000 works at MOSA. The exhibition is curated by Sushma K Bahl, former head of arts and culture at the British Council and co-curated by Archana B. Sapra, an architect and co-founder of the NGO, Arts4All. We are soon joined by Bahl and Sapra for a chat on the project. Pointing towards Gurvich, Bahl says, “He doesn’t like to talk about all the good work that he is doing so let me tell you how great a soul he is. He has put in so much effort for this project, to see that the Indians get to see this great collection of art.” Gurvich, who owes his passion for art to his father Jose Gurvich who died young (after whom a museum is named in Montevideo, Uruguay), responds only with a smile and instantly digs in his bag to pull out one volume of the two-volume book that has been published as part of the project. The book, published by MOSA and Niyogi Books, carries essays and pictures on the subject, and flipping its pages, Gurvich points out the amazing works being done by artists across the country on giving expression to spirituality through art.“It’s such a false notion that spiritual art is only practised by those following certain religions in their extreme forms. Very good work is being done across India by contemporary artists who are not necessarily religious but are using art to express Indian religious ethos which are all around us,” says Bahl.The book is replete with images that are not just aesthetically sound but also give a spin to the mythological tales that this country has known for thousands of years. Gurvich, who also represents the Hindu forum of Belgium and Europe, says, “I hope that such a project will bring great awareness of India’s vast and diverse culture and friendships. May it bring people of different faiths closer together in the spirit of unity in diversity.”After showing in Delhi, the exhibition travels to Thailand where it will be on view at The Exhibition Hall, Art and Culture Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, from April 28 to May 10.“Forms of Devotion: The Spiritual In Indian Art” is on view at the Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi, through April 26, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For details on the museum, visit www.mosabelgium.com. For details on the exhibition, visit www.formsofdevotion.org.Follow @ARTINFOIndia
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