ART for HORNBILLS
Art, film and sound nestled in an indoor forest
Dec 5-6, 2015
Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Banngalore
Image courtesy Sangeetha Kadur
H for Hornbill
There is a bird in the forests of India with long eyelashes, beautiful black and white feathers, and a brightly colored long downward curving bill. It is monogamous, loves figs and has a festival named after it. Hornbills and their environs are amazingly beautiful but most of us are removed from them - especially in cities.
One of the ways their beauty can be manifested in urban concrete jungles is through art. Their colors and vitality transposed through ink, watercolor, oil and acrylic. Seven contemporary artists are coming together in conjunction with the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program (HNAP) to create a show that will introduce the viewers to these beautiful creatures, their habitat and how our actions and inactions are affecting them.
Image courtesy Mallika Prakash
H for Habitat
Hornbills are called the 'farmers of the forest'. They travel long distances in search of ripe fruit and spread seeds far and wide in the process. They keep the forests alive and are vital to their growth. Both the forests and the Hornbills have suffered due to deforestation and the subsequent loss of habitat. The hornbills are now in direct competition with each other for nesting sites. They are also hunted by the local tribal communities for food, medicine and headgear decoration.
The Hornbill Nest Adoption Program is working with the Nyishi community in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh to help preserve the habitats of these birds and discourage hunting. They train the local community to identify, monitor and protect Hornbill nests and roosts and have become a source of livelihood for these communities. The hunters have become protectors and the program's efforts have led to a significant growth in the number of nesting sites available to the hornbills leading to a positive effect on their population.
Image courtesy Prasenjeet Yadav
H for Hand in Hand
Art, film and sound nestled in an indoor forest
December 5th-6th, 2015, Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
The artists featured in this show are working very closely with the conservationists and the scientists of the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program. Paintings, illustrations and photographs will be accompanied by hornbill sound scapes and a short film will put the viewer in the midst of all the action. Each art piece intends to spark a conversation on how wildlife and forests are vital to our well being and what we can do to foster this mutually enriching connection. The way each nest is cared for and looked after by an individual of the Nyishi community, each art piece is thought through and executed with love and care by the artist.
All of the art at the this event will be available for purchase and 80% of all proceeds will directly benefit the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program. A unique aspect of this exhibition is that most of the art pieces are paired with a single or a couples’ hornbill parent membership. Every piece sold will support the birds, the Nyishi community and the forests of Arunachal Pradesh.
Program schedule
December 5th, 2015 : 1pm-7pm
Opening reception : 3:30pm
"Hope for Hornbills" by Aparajita Datta : 4:00pm
Film screening : 4:15pm
"Hornbills and I" by Rohan Charavarty : 4:30pm
Dec. 6th, Sunday, 10:30am -7pm
"Hope for Hornbills" by Aparajita Datta : 12:30pm
Film screening : 12:45pm
"Hornbills and I" by Rohan Charavarty : 1:00pm
Visual Artists
Adarsh Raju
Arjun Srivathsa
Maya Ramaswamy
Sandesh Kadur
Sangeetha Kadur
Sartaj Ghuman
Suchitra Sharma
Sumit Sinha
The Hornbill Nest Adoption Program’s vision is that adopting nests would lead to urban citizens developing a greater understanding of conservation work and the struggles of the local community in protecting our natural wealth. We invite everyone to be part of this conversation.
Image courtesy Rohan Chakravarty
conservationists and collaborators
Image courtesy Sumit Sinha
