Venue: The Courtyard Grill, Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown
Date: 21st April 2017 – 31st May 2017

Art has conventionally had a standoffish position in the society. It had targeted a niche audience – the art connoisseurs and aficionados. But such holier-than-thou approach prevented art from touching the lives of the common man.

Of late, however, there is a change. Paintings have covered walls of city buildings, installations have been erected at public places and hotel lobbies have become makeshift art galleries.

The works of artist and sculptor Vikash Kalra are presently on display at The Courtyard Grill, Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown. This commemorates his decade long journey in the field of arts. We were invited to the opening evening on 21st April and went through the collection over wine and canape.

The abstract pieces on canvas or as sculptures displayed strong themes. We could see an influence of Picasso in this works. The paintings had geometric shapes in landscape and still life formats. The sculptures stood out in their surreal abstract forms and psychedelic colours.

Creativity is versatile and flows from one form to another. Vikash is a poet as well and the evening saw the launch of his poetry collection “Jiwan ek soch mat“.

The art and sculpture displayed in the main lobby looked a little cluttered and the out of place among the classical decor. However, the display in the Courtyard did more justice to the artwork.

The simple but wonderfully tasty cocktail snacks that Mariott served was just right for the event. It did not distract the attention of the visitors and the simplicity of the food suited the summer evening. And this is no surprise since we have always been impressed with the hospitality of Mariott during earlier occasions.

The event was curated by Art Floor and kudos to them for breaking the glass wall and bringing art out in the open. We wish the Art Exhibition by Vikash Kalra all success.