Bengaluru: Artists in Bengaluru are up against the government for allowing a private foundation to take over the management of the State-run Venkatappa Art Gallery, that exhibits some of the most valuable paintings in the State. The government, which has defended its proposal as being good for a museum that has been facing neglect, has now called for a meeting with artists on Thursday. This move, even as prominent Bengalurueans like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have supported the govt move.
The 45 year old Venkatappa Art Gallery in the heart of Bengaluru which houses some of the city’s heritage art collections of the last century. It is named after a great artist in the court of Mysore Kings Kalavida Venkatappa. A gallery mired in controversy now after the Karnataka government has signed an MoU with the private Tasveer Foundation to adopt it and upgrade the gallery, which has fallen into disrepair over the last few years as the govt hasn’t spent much on its upkeep… the MoU, however, has drawn the wrath of some artists who say it’s an attempt at privatisation.
Chi Su Krishna Shetty, Ex President , Karnataka Lalithakala Academy said “if you go through the MoU it clearly says, the government should vacate this place and hand it over to him, that means Hebbars painting, Venkatappa paintings should be vacated and he wants to brings his collection.
Alka Rao, another Artist/ campaigner said “In this they are giving the complete management of the gallery to the private foundation and also allowing them their collections which we are not wanting”
The artists’ protest has been dismissed as illogical by prominent Bengalureans, who say infusing the gallery with some funding will help. Besides, the govt should spend its money on other issues, and as long as it brings in clauses on how the museum should be managed, private participation shouldn’t be discarded.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Trustee of the Bangalore Political Action Committee said “this is a PPP model which is emulated across the world whether its Picasso or Dali museum all these actually what they are because of private partnership and philanthropy. You got to any museum, they are world class which takes a lot of investments to make them world class, that is what is being attempted. there is a very honest intent purpose to get it adopted through a similar model”
But apprehensions persist on whether the extra gallery space and grounds around the museum will be used by private players for their own commercial gains.
R V Deshpande, Tourism and Industries Minister of the state said “It is not privatisation, it is not lease it is adoption. Tasveer Foundation is not a king or a boss there, there will be a committee, which decides how to do things, I don’t know why this kind of apprehension”
The Karnataka government has called for a meeting with all the stake-holders on Thursday to decide. Private foundations adopting govt structures is not new, the state government has already short listed 46 destinations for adoption.
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