Now shining white cube in the midst of all noise completes the dream



A new community art centre has opened in Chennai, set between printing, framing and canvas stores. Putting accessibility first, it is also one of India’s most affordable galleries.

For years, Chennai’s artists both professionals and students have flocked to the rather run-down IOA Complex in Royapettah. The complex is home to the famous Hindustan Trading Company, which is widely regarded as the sanctum sanctorum of art supplies and materials, as well as printing, framing, and canvas stores. It’s the perfect day trip for those who get excited when they see neat stacks of stationary.

Community Art Centre

Now, a shining white cube in the midst of all noise completes the dream: Ashvita’s Community Art Centre (ACAC) thus attempts to bring a quiet energy in the form of a gallery-cum-community space in the unlikeliest of locations.

Though the IOA complex is currently characterised by construction debris and loud thumping noises, its open atrium recently provided some artists with much-needed sunlight for the development of their own cyanotype prints. ACAC hosted a cyanotype exhibition and workshop led by Chennai Photo Biennale as part of its September opening. “Self-reflection as gallery owners” inspired Ashvin E Rajagopalan, founder of Ashvita’s Gallery on Radhakrishnan Salai, to open a space for the art community.

“It is very critical for us to build curated programmes to cater to the market and in doing so, we made our own gallery unavailable for young artists.” Ashvin has had to turn them away owing to the requirements of the curated programmes. “So the community art centre happened in the direction of providing support to any artist in the city who wants a gallery space,” continues Ashvin. (Ashvita’s as a brand completes 20 years in the market, this year).

Facilities of the shining white cube

The accessibility of the centre is not restricted to the fact that it is situated in a commercial complex. Availability of parking, accessibility by public transport and the centrality of location are key components. “It’s already a hub. So, it completes that ecosystem,” says Ashvin. Building a community — be it of up-and-coming, student or established artists —that thrives on participation is the goal.

The shining white cube-approach will also force people to address aesthetics, in a public-facing complex. Apart from the glass entrance that allows natural light in, the centre is flooded with central lighting inside. “You can walk past, and look at the artworks. There is nothing stopping you from looking at what’s inside.”

The polished concrete floor is an ode to the raw quality the space hopes to champion. A small storage space beyond is already home to framed artworks, yet to be unboxed. Plans are on to have a digital-first approach. “We are exploring an app-based entry. We may not man the space always.”

“We also want to bring in an open library. The books are going to have RFID tags which means it will be connected to your phone and are tracked,” says Ashvin. The lending library will have arts and culture-related books.

Priced at ₹3,000/ day, the gallery is one of the cheapest in the country. While being more accessible to people who are starting out, the space does not exclude itself from the art market and its processes, says Ashvin. “It brings in the idea of walking in without an agenda, to a space from where people don’t throw you out,” he chuckles.

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Dr. Kirti Sisodhia

Content Writer

CATEGORIES Business Agriculture Technology Environment Health Education

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