IPEP celebrates 10th year at Bihar Museum!

October 23, 2023

IPEP – ‘The International Print Exchange Programme’ is celebrating their 10^th year, through an exciting four-day program ‘Da(r)shak: A Decade of Printmaking & Viewership’ on Printmaking and a grand month-long exhibition at Bihar Museum with participants from 49 countries. The event kicked off in a grand opening ceremony on Friday, 20^th October at Bihar Museum. A report on the exhibition and the upcoming action plan.

———-

IPEP – ‘The International Print Exchange Programme’ began the celebration of their 10^th year with a rich and action packed series of programs lined up on the subject of Printmaking. The first one in this is the grand exhibition titled ‘Da(r)shak: A Decade of Printmaking & Viewership’ at the prestigious Bihar Museum.

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 11.03.08 AM (1) — Director General of National museum and Bihar Museum

The exhibition was inaugurated by Shri. Anjani Kumar Singh, Director General of Bihar Museum. The inaugural function was blessed by august presence of the Director General, National Museum, Dr B R Mani, as esteemed Chief Guest, along with Smt Anju Ranjan, Deputy Director General of ICCR, and Mr Thirapath Mongkolnavin, Minister and Dy Chief of Mission from the Royal Thai Embassy as Special Guests.

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 11.03.08 AM (3) - Copy — Consulate of the Royal Thai Embassy

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 11.03.08 AM Copy — Rajesh Pullawar – Founder Director IPEP India

With a cheerful audience patting the backs of artists and organizers for the spectacular display and exhibition experience the evening was filled with art, culture, and celebration, setting the tone for an incredible exhibition journey.

391715822_10168189923645223_7904533502513574986_n - Copy

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 11.03.08 AM (2) - Feature

The exhibition will be followed by India’s First Ever International Printmaking Symposium (Online) over three days during November and an exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh in December 2023.

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-23 at 11.34.01 AM - Feature

More about the line-up of the action plan will follow.

But before that, let’s begin with understanding about Printmaking as an art form and what IPEP has been doing over a decade.

What is Printmaking?

Printmaking like painting is an artistic medium Creating multiple originals of visual art by using mechanical tools. viz. plates or blocks, ink, paper etc. It has been in use since the 2nd Century BCE and popularly used by artists like Raja Ravi Varma and many others since British rule in India. It is a Democratic medium that allows free expression.

2022 Ow - Moutushi Chakraborty, India - Mendings, Screenprint - Copy — Moutushi Chakraborty, India - Mendings, Screenprint (2022)

What does IPEP India do?

We barter prints among artists without charging a fee. Artist Rajesh Pullarwar began The International Print Exchange Programme (IPEP), India as a not-for-profit initiative to promote the importance of the medium and mutually support printmakers across the globe. Since each printmaker may not afford to exhibit their work internationally, this model serves the purpose in the simplest way. First of its kind – an innovative programme in printmaking. The core team contributes their valuable domain expertise and resources that materialise each event through shared support.

Rajesh Pullarwar, Founder, Director, IPEP India - Copy — Rajesh Pullarwar, Founder, Director, IPEP India

IPEP core Team: The core team offers their expertise to run this program without charging any fees and works on the barter model.

Core team consists of Rajesh Pullarwar, Pradeep Patil, Lina Vincent, Nikhil Purohit, Sanjay Kumar, Kulpreet Singh and Moutushi Chakraborty.

2013 First Exhib - India — Glimpses of the first exhibition of IPEP in 2013

What do Participating artists do?

The participants are chosen for the quality of work rather than fame. They send a set of prints to us (based on theme) and we collate everyone’s prints together and return them to each participant in the form of a kit called – a portfolio. The artists exhibit the prints in an art gallery, a school or even at their home & invite other artists, and friends, art collectors, to enjoy the creative expressions of international artists. The exhibition of the portfolio is the main motto of IPEP India. Participants should invite at least 25 people to celebrate printmaking.

Process 1 - Melihat Tuzun, Turkey taking print 1 — Printmaking Process - Melihat Tuzun, Turkey taking print

2019 Workshop - Panjim, Goa — Workshop at Panjim, Goa in 2019

2019 Workshop - Suchana School, Shantiniketan 1 - Copy — Workshop conducted at Suchana School, Shantiniketan in 2019

2021 Sanjay Kumar, Threshold, Workshop at Studio Pannadwar, Mumbai - Copy — Sanjay Kumar, ‘Threshold’ Workshop at Studio Pannadwar, Mumbai in 2021

As a result of this, every portfolio sent abroad gets exhibited internationally. IPEP boosts networking among printmakers and creates awareness about printmaking as an art form among its viewers. It is not limited to exchange prints but also exhibitions

Each year the theme is based on a social issue affecting globally.

2013 Untitled, 1st Exhibition, Melzo, Italy — The First IPEP Exhibition at Melzo, Italy in 2013

2017 Exhib - Spain — IPEP Exhibition at Spain in 2017

2017 Exhib - Sir J. J. School of Art - Mumbai — Exhibition at Sir J J School of Art, Mumbai in 2017

2018 Feb 15, Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur - 5 Years of IPEP India Exhibition (1) — Exhibition at Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur - 5 Years of IPEP India in 2018

2019 Exhib - Sydney, Australia — Exhibition at Sydney, Australia in 2019

IPEP India @10

IPEP is celebrating Printmaking – a traditional art medium where we are offering an opportunity to learn about International Printmaking practices through the display of 305+ artworks by artists from 49 countries with immersive activities for the viewers. Curator’s Walkthrough, Panel Discussion, A/V documentaries on printmaking, and a special DIY stamp-making experience are planned for all types of viewers to enjoy the diverse media of Printmaking.

About the Exhibition: It is the 100^th exhibition titled ‘Da(r)shak’ is brought together to mark the 10th anniversary of the print barter initiated by artist Rajesh Pullarwar in 2013 under the aegis of the International Print Exchange Programme India. An initiative to provide a transparent and just platform for world artists without monetary demand from the participating artists.

On display are 305+ artworks from the archive of ten years (2013-2022) put together under each annual theme viz. Untitled (2013), Indigestible (2014), Fear: Horror/Terror (2015), Breaking News (2016), Homeland (2017), Micro/Macrocosm (2018), A Voice To A Voice (2019), Double Vision (2020), Threshold (2021), and the current compilation One World (2022). Each portfolio is a result of meticulous organization, vetted by curators, perspectives of writers and bringing together the best of every year’s submissions.

The exhibition is scheduled for a display at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh in December 2023.

2014 In, Reynaldo Santiago, USA - Untitled, Serigraph - Copy — Reynaldo Santiago, USA - Untitled, Serigraph (2014)

2014 In, Yogesh Aadkine, India - Indigestible, Corex cut - Copy — Yogesh Aadkine, India - Indigestible, Corex cut (2014)

2017 Hl, Abhishek Chourasia, India - Homeland, Serigraphy & Chinecolle - Copy — Abhishek Chourasia, India - Homeland, Serigraphy & Chinecolle (2017)

Other Highlights: The IPEP curatorial team has conceptualized immersive segments where the viewer gains familiarity with historic prints with the subject as Sanchi Stupa, Burhanpur Fort, Raja Ravi Varma’s oleograph and a few prints by the famous Thomas Daniel of India, from the Bihar Museum’s collection. The exhibition also acknowledges the contribution of Bihar’s rich cultural heritage by highlighting some important printmaking works by Padma Shri Prof Shyam Sharma of Patna.