Bhubaneswar, May 16: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday inaugurated the exhibition ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ at Kala Bhoomi, Odisha Crafts Museum here in the city.
The exhibition showcases more than 35 crafts and various languages and scripts of India through objects and live teaching demonstrations.
It is a specially curated cultural project for the 2nd G20 CWG meeting (May 14 to 17, 2023) in Bhubaneswar by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The theme of the exhibition is reflective off the second priority of the Culture Working Group (CWG) – ‘Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future.’
Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Minister for State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai were present.
‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’, presents varied expressions of India’s age-old living heritage and indigenous knowledge systems that have sustained individuals, communities, and societies in shaping their beliefs, values and traditions since time immemorial.
The vision for the exhibition is to create awareness amongst visitors, professionals and policymakers about the many living heritage practices that prioritize mindful and optimal utilization of natural resources and harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature.
‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ is composed of three constituent experiences – Akshara, Stambh
and demonstrations by master artisans and teachers – which encapsulate these manifold aspects.
The first section of the exhibition ‘Akshara – Crafting Indian Scripts,’ highlights diverse languages and craft practices of India, reflecting unique worldviews and traditions.
Through a new design vocabulary, Akshara showcases the visual beauty of India’s scripts, expressed through alphabets, verses, phrases, poems and colloquial sayings.
‘Stambh: Craft, Collaboration and Continuity’, explores indigenous crafts practices and their contemporary expressions.
This section showcases functional objects designed with elements of traditional crafts, through collaborations with artisans, adapted for urban audiences.
