Home to barren lands and fertile arts and culture, Rajasthan is a land of multiple contrasts! Now, the state is all set to encapsulate one of the globe’s biggest open modern art galleries called Mandawa Art Village. Adorned with a vivid environment of art and heritage, the gallery would resonate with the semblance of the desert, ornamented havelis, richly crafted dresses, camels, sands, and everything that testifies the spirit of Rajasthan.
Center of local arts to boost jobs & prevent migration
Amita D’Alessandro, the French co-founder of Mandawa Art Village said, “The idea is to offer an alternative choice to the people who live in the village through the creative economy.” While local art and culture will stand preserved at this art complex, the generation of job opportunities shall usher umpteen benefits for the village folks. With the development of artistic tourism, villagers will be able to move up the economic ladder and the migration rates will be diminished.
“We want to transform it into an international art village to offer another attraction to the tourists who visit Mandawa. Restoring, preserving, and promoting local old art forms is also one of our aims,” said Virendra Singh Shekhawat, the director and founder of DPC, a Delhi-based photography club. Among multiple activities available here, tourists will be taught a range of skills from pottery to photography.
Wall paintings & street art by artists from across the globe!
One of the few highlights here are the international street art and Mandawa heritage frescos, which are designed to suit the interests of both foreign and native tourists. Artists from across the Globe have helped with their contributions, inspired from their homeland and the Indian way of life. This includes expert painters from Peru and Morocco, who have worked to elevate the artistic appeal of the place.
Placed at a short distance of 4 Km from Mandawa, the village encircles ornately resplendent havelis. Further, art forms created by renowned foreign artists, photography exhibitions, art installations and sculpture, photo and heritage walks, photography and art workshops, folk music concerts, folk dance are expected to woo a lot of tourists.
With support from embassies of Peru, Ecuador & Mexico!
Changing the face of rural art forms and native skills, the project aims to facilitate new avenues of employment and promote reverse migration. The village residents have already offered their rooms for conducting photography and other classes and the plans are expected to catch speed in the days to come.
While the project was expected to be finished by 2021, the pandemic has stretched the timeline by 2 years. It has been informed that the embassies of Peru, Ecuador and Mexico have supported the project by allowing artists to travel to India. Being the maiden scheme of its type in the country, the art village will be marketed and advertised on global platforms by Rajasthan Tourism.
– With inputs from IANS
