THE ART OF SHARING

The once-intimidating aura of art museums is significantly diminishing, and being replaced by engaging exhibits that appeal to a broader audience

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

A small yet impactful painting on display at the recently concluded 'Pop: Fame Love Power' exhibit at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre left me scratching my head. The 15 by 20-inch untitled painting by renowned contemporary and pop artist Keith Haring depicts two figures in movement as they collectively capture a heart that is bang in the middle of the painting. While others milled about studying away Haring's brush strokes and bold choice of colours, my friend who had tagged along to catch the exhibit with me quipped, "Do you think we can ask someone to take a picture of us acting out the painting in front of the artwork because this painting is so us?" As if the security guard heard us, he promptly cleared his throat, striking away any thoughts of pulling that kind of stunt. As we giggled to ourselves and moved on to the next painting, I couldn't help but wonder if someone else had also perceived that piece of art in the simple way that we had. Were we supposed to find some kind of hidden deeper meaning in the minimalist shapes that Haring drew?