South Mumbai has been experiencing a cultural revival this past year and as part of this move, a number of art galleries in the Art District have agreed to remain open late on Thursdays.
The idea is similar in spirit to the European concept of a "Night of Museums" wherein museums across the city are open to the public at discounted rates throughout the night. The concept started actually in East London on the first Thursday of the month. It has been a great success in promoting museums and art galleries as fun places and a viable option for an evening about town.
As part of Art Thursdays in South Mumbai, Alliance Française de Bombay collaborates with Sakshi Art Gallery to show a cycle of animated films "Résolument animés" every second Thursday until May.
The first cycle of 11 shorts screened on the 12th of January was received with much delight by the gallery visitors. The opening film, Tomek Ducki's Eletvonal unfolded in a mechanical world determined by hierarchy and power, not unlike our own. A grand majority of the remaining films were about the search for love. For instance, Une Histoire Vertébrale (A Backbone Tale) by Jérémy Clapin emerged as the audience favourite with its malformed hero's search for someone equally malformed in a world where everything is just-so. Another favourite, Bernard Palacio's La Belle Au Bois D'or (The Forgotten Princess) tells the story of an abandoned princess who beings a new life after being kissed awake by a rabbit instead of her Prince Charming.
Most gallery visitors trickled in and out of the cinema room, as they wandered about in search of art, food and drinks provided by the attentive gallery staff. A few were seen to stay for the entire duration of the screening. All in all, the cycle of animés provided an interesting contrast to the contemplative exhibition of paintings, sculptures and installations in the adjacent room.
Sayalee Karkare (for Impressions 120)