Arnavage Vasudev Charities will host its biennial art camp at Cholamandal Artists Village from February 21-24.

For over 25 years, Arnavaz Vasudev Charities has striven to quietly support and encourage the individualistic voices of Indian artists trying to navigate an increasingly complex world.

Established in 1989 by renowned painter SG Vasudev in the memory of his wife Arnavaz, the Trust was conceived as a way of giving back to the artistic community. Today, it has supported around 200 artists, many of whom have established strong professional practices, says BO Shailesh, one of the trustees, with obvious pride.

Arnavage Vasudev Charities is back with its biennial camp at the Cholamandal Artists Village, where selected artists are invited to stay for four days with accommodation, materials and space provided. The camp will begin on February 21, followed by artist presentations at Laburnum and Indigo Gallery on February 22. The camp is scheduled to end on February 24. The artistes participating this year are Meera Unnikrishnan, Rakesh Kumar, Ranganath Amrad, Srilakshmi KS and Veeresh Rudraswamy.

On the success of the camps, Shailesh says, “Ninety percent of the artistes are now in very good condition. It is a matter of pride for our charity.” Each year, the Trust offers scholarships to approximately 8-12 artists. It also provides assistance to art students with financial constraints. “If someone gets a scholarship abroad and needs help, we have helped some artists by giving them their flight tickets,” he explains. The aim is not just to fund projects but to remove barriers that may prevent promising artists from moving forward.

Artwork by artist Veeresh Rudraswami | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The camp is designed as a place of experimentation, dialogue and exchange, where young practitioners can test ideas without commercial pressure. “We don’t take any of their artwork in return. We don’t get anything in return. It’s purely a support to the artists,” says Shailesh.

The founding trustees of the camp are Shantha Guhan, Girish Karnad and SG Vasudev and the current trustees are BO Shailesh, Bharani V Setlur, Mala Chinnappa, RM Palaniappan and SG Vasudev. Shailesh says that this experience is extremely beneficial for the people involved in organizing the camps.

“The best part is that we get to meet so many different artists,” he says. “Whenever we go to exhibitions, I’m always thinking – who is the best young person here? How can we invite them? How can we support them?” This constant search for new talent keeps organizers busy developing contemporary practices. “When I meet young artists, I get to know what new media they are using, how they explore it, how they survive in the art scene,” he says, adding that they are artists like Shantamani Muddaiah and Vijay Pichumani, who have received several accolades after the camp.

The camps have conducted memorable experiments. Shantamani created a cloud-like installation from coal and hung it among the trees. “For about ten days I watched how she built it,” he recalls. Another built a large hanging nest out of dry sticks and sandbags, which spectators were invited to climb into and whisper wishes to before it was ceremoniously burned. “It comes from nature and goes back to nature,” he says.

For trustees, moments like these reaffirm their mission. “All the artists we invite are not wasted,” says Shailesh. “They remain in the art. We are very proud of that.”