Chaos and mishandling mars Art Exhibition at Pune!

KalaMaharshi Baburao Painter Art Exhibition and Competition held in Pune, Maharashtra, concluded on June 4th. The event witnessed the participation of renowned artists, however, sadly the event was marred by poor organization, sparking a flurry of reactions within the art community.

The competition began with great anticipation, as it was organized in honor of Baburao Painter (Baurao Krishnarao Mestry), a highly respected figure in Maharashtra’s art field. The brochure of the competition prominently featured Mestry family’s name, leading many participants to believe it was an official event. Despite the steep entry fee of Rs. 700 per entry, numerous contestants eagerly enrolled.

Due to the overwhelming number of entries, the organizers faced significant difficulties in managing the competition. The contestants were notified about the exhibition venue change just a day before the event. Initially planned for Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery, it was later relocated to Yashwantrao Chavan Theatre. The lack of proper planning became evident, resulting in inadequate display space for many artworks. Consequently, artworks were haphazardly placed, causing inconvenience to the audience. A participant artist on condition of anonymity, expressed her dismay, stating, “Many artworks were placed on the floor, disrespecting our efforts. While we worship art, it was disheartening to witness the treatment of our artworks by the organizers.” Frustrated by this situation, several painters retrieved their artworks before the exhibition’s conclusion, with no one questioning their actions. Amid the chaos, the organizers were even uncertain whether the person carrying an artwork was the actual artist or someone else.

Dattatray Padekar, a veteran painter who served as a judge and inaugurated the competition, shared his perspective on the incident. He attributed the poor organization to the young age of the competition’s organizer, Arjun Mestry (Baburao Painter’s grandson). Padekar also noted that the responsibility for organizing such a significant event was handed to an event manager, who lacked artistic expertise and approached it purely as a money-making opportunity. He emphasized that such occurrences are not limited to this exhibition alone but are becoming increasingly prevalent in organizing various large-scale exhibitions. Padekar had a detailed conversation with Arjun Mestry, advising him on the crucial aspects of exhibition and competition organization. Mestry assured Padekar that he would exercise caution in future art-related programs.

Katkar tendering apology. Click to watch full video.

Even the formal inaugural function was not smooth, as the speeches of the guests during the inauguration were interrupted by written notes sent by the organizers. Painter Sanjay Shelar, one of the guest speakers reportedly expressed great disappointment upon facing   this situation.

Sensing the troubles arising from this, organizers subsequently delegated the responsibility to Atul Katkar, who is known for organizing the controversial Art Exhibition at Goa. The decision to entrust the planning to Katkar, given the recent mishandling at Goa exhibition, raises questions. A video featuring Atul Katkar publicly accepting responsibility for the exhibition’s chaos has emerged.

However, the primary organizers, the Mestry family, particularly Arjun Mestry, cannot absolve themselves of their responsibility once they assumed it.  Such a deceitful act, taking advantage of the name of a revered artist like Baburao Painter, would undoubtedly be condemned by the late painter himself. Sanjay Shelar, a veteran painter associated with the competition, expressed his disappointment with the unfortunate turn of events.

In conclusion, we would like to offer a suggestion to the artists that is “dear artist you must read.” Had our previous article “You Just can’t blame organizers blindly!” been read by artists, they might have been spared from such a situation. That article outlined the entire modus operandi of such exhibitions and event organizers like Katkar. We hope that artists will now prioritize being well-informed. After all, there is a Marathi saying, “If you read, you will be saved.”

Considering the entire situation, I would like to suggest to the organizers that, in the future, if they plan any similar exhibitions, they should seek guidance and support from experts. When we associate the name of a great individual, we bear a significant responsibility.