Printmaking Workshop on City As Play
The pandemic threw up some serious flaws in urban planning. The pandemic taught us to value public spaces such as parks and gardens, which we had previously overlooked. The spaces play an important role in improving urban lifestyles. In particular, these are breathing spaces within the city. The pandemic edified new social codes, which led to a new way of physical behaviour and movement in public spaces.
About the Workshop
Participants will be invited to create slogans, signage, structures, instructions, etc., to make these public spaces in the city more accessible and improved for citizens. These designs will be transformed into miniature relief stamps [4 x 4 inches]. Participants will imprint the stamps on the postcards. They will exchange postcards to share their opinions with others. At the end of the event, these stamps will be imprinted collectively on a digitally printed map of Kolkata. A discussion would then be initiated about how these outcomes can be improvised to make our city a better place.
The workshop will be facilitated by printmaker and installation artist Nilanjan Das and the team of Living A Dark Night artists.
Workshop Venue: Rabindra Tirtha (AMI Arts Festival ground)
Date: 17th and 18th December
Time: 12 Noon - 2 PM
Duration: 2 hours
Age Limit: 16 - 35 (preferable)
Workshop fee: INR 750 for each day (including GST)
*Bookings will be made on a first-come-first-serve basis
About the Facilitator
Nilanjan Das is a printmaker and installation artist based in Kolkata. He is interested in the role of printmaking in the public domain and has initiated several public art projects. Nilanjan Das completed his BFA and MFA in Printmaking from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. He is presently a PhD scholar under Dr. Paula Sengupta’s supervision at the same University. He is a trustee and artist of the Hamdasti Artist Collective, Kolkata.
Nilanjan has received awards and participated in artist residencies and exhibitions in India and abroad including the Manorama Young Printmaker Award 2021 from India Printmaker House; Pulp Society Artist in Residency, First Edition, Delhi, 2020; the Sponsored Coursework Program Award at Give me space, New Prints 2020 at International Print Center, New York; Socially Engaged Art Practice Grant, Khoj International Artists’ Association, Delhi, 2019; and Megalo Artist in Residence Award, Canberra, Australia, 2018.
