magic wallrush studio
DESCRIPTION
Art collective based in CalcuttaTRANSCRIPT
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magicwallrushstudio
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Under the crumbling roofs of this colonial city, we live in the shadow of our past. Tagore is dead, and a long time ago, Ray and Teresa are no more. For thirty-four years we’ve been turn-ing in the same spot, and now we’re all ready to start walking backwards. Where is the art, in this city of artists? Where is the culture in this, our culture capital? Are you happy, living in yesterday’s city? Are you comfortable being exactly where you are now? Are you happy with yesterday’s dreams of yesterday’s revolutions, forever hearing yesterday’s songs sung anew? Or are you tired of boredom and waiting to leave?No gun will win this war for you. No one else will change for you. If we stay still, there is no hope; if we all leave, there is no hope. If there shall be a revolution, we all must lead one for ourselves.We bring you this, a beginning, our little revolution. The parties do not own our streets; we’ll paint them on our own. We do not want to shoot or fight, just make our feelings known. We do not want votes. We only want you to see, think and speak for your-self; and decide if you’d like to help save your city from itself.
Why Wallrush?Are you happy, living in yesterday’s city? Are you comfortable being exactly where you are now? Are you happy with yes-terday’s dreams, of yesterday’s revolutions, forever hearing yesterday’s songs sung anew? Or are you tired of boredom and waiting to leave?No gun will win this war for you. No one else will change for you. If we stay still, there is no hope; if we all leave, there is no hope. If there shall be a revolution, we all must lead one for ourselves.
Photo: Magic Wallrush/Topse Das
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Magic Wallrush is a combined arts collective that
Supports, promotes and curates art that cross artistic and cultural boundaries.
Engages with and champions new and young artists who use one or more artforms to achieve their aims. Promotes collaboration between artists and artforms.
Researches, revives and promotes local and indigenous Indian artforms and handicrafts and public art spaces.
Develops new and non traditional ways of connecting art with the public.
Helps individuals and organisations bring about positive change through art, design and sustainable communication.
Photo: Magic Wallrush/Ranabir Das
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In 2009, disenchanted with the mediocrity surrounding us and tired of working under the shadow of a cultural heritage that was only being paid lip service, we decided to do our own bit to help revive it and try to move it forward, in new, unexpected directions. Thus the Magic Wallrush Street Festival was born.
Magic Wallrush I The demolished Salvation Army building on hippie haven Sudder Street played host to the first chapter of Wallrush. What began as a group of friends with varied interests just trying to express themselves out in the open turned into a festival on the streets. Paintings and photography formed the core of the ‘exhibit’, while bead work and hand painted T-shirts were also on display and several musicians gathered for a day long acoustic jam session.
Magic Wallrush IIThe second Magic Wallrush was held indoors, in a still under construction studio, We created a multi-media installation incorporating our artwork. While photographs and paintings hung from half-finished walls, a section of the space was turned into the ’Acid Room’ where video installations and independent films were screened non-stop. Two books of poetry were launched, in English and in Bengali. Scarves, handbags and batik sheets joined the hand-painted T-shirts in our home-made bazaar outside.
Magic Wallrush III The saga continued with the grand success of Magic Wallrush the Third, placed strategically between Flury’s and The Tea Table on Park Street. This time we added hand-painted caps and shoes, posters, postcards, masks, accessories and even a tattoo artist to the mix, which saw the number of participants rise from 20 to 35 and garnered an audience ranging from 16-year old school students to art critics, activists, filmmakers even the local chai and rickshaw wallahs.
Magic Wallrush IVThe most recent of our ventures was held at the same venue as Magic Wallrush III, but on a larger scale, incorporating all the elements of previous events as well as experiments with graffiti and a folk musical performance by Uttam Das Baul.
Wallrush: The beginningsPhoto: Magic Wallrush/Julia Laird
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The Third Eye ProjectThe Thirdeye Project is a constantly evolving interactive new media art installation. The eye shaped outer structure is engineered completely out of steel pipes and chrome metal sheets.The interior is an immersive interactive environment created out of smoke, mirrors, lights, laser beams, video projections, paintings and scrap metal sculptures made out of discarded car parts.The central ‘shrine’ is a three way video installation, that responds to every sound and movement around it.
A cultural festival to be held early next year along the banks of the river Ganga where it meets the Bay of Bengal, near the famous Sagar Island. Top national and international artists shall be invited to perform alongside local and folk artists in aid of the people and ecosystem of the endangered Sunderbans delta.
Current Projects
Ujaan: The festival for Sunderbans
Photo: Magic Wallrush/Opashona Ghosh
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Magic Wallrush Studio25B Mohini Mohan RoadCalcutta [email protected]
Arijit Sett, Executive Director+91 98307 [email protected]
Opashona Ghosh, Public Relations and Admin+91 90511 [email protected]
Abhijay Gupta, Creative Director+91 98304 [email protected]
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