National Gallery of Modern Art

College began with a fantasized notion: exploring the by-lanes of Delhi, and frolicking around Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, and Majnu-ka-Tila, and frequenting museums and art galleries. However, circumstances conspired against us, and Dilli remained Durr for a long time. Finally in July 2022 when our qaafila decided to meander along the silent valley of the National Gallery of Modern Art, our inner existentialism and philosophy got exposed. Opportunity knocked, and we couldn't resist going to NGMA and rambling (or to ramble) under the sublime lighting about the what-ifs of time-wethered characters, constructions and shadows captured in art.

In the words of Sundaram Tagore, what separates us from the species we evolved from is our ability to make art- the ability to express ourselves in a complicated, emotive manner, with visual and narrative coherence. Art has been used since time immemorial to express, to appease, to frighten, to compel, to remember, to desire, and to memorize.

In our walk to the National Gallery of Modern Art, we explored how art provided an escape to different sentiments, from morbid curiosity reflected in Rabindranath Togore's erasures to patriotism reflected in Kalighat works of Jamini Roy.

We began with an analysis of amateur and professional European artists who visited India and recorded Indian life, architecture, costumes and landscapes beginning from the 18th century and how they depicted India as a quaint land- rugged and wild; yet to be tamed by human hands.

Then we analysed how Indian Art was transformed with the arrival of British colonisers and the rise of British-trained academic artists.

Then we walked through the art of Nationalists in Bengal who reaffirmed their faith in Indian civilization, leading to an abrupt demise of the realist genre and the rise of a group of painters known as the Bengal School of Art. There was a new demand for "Indianness," which was primarily associated with Hindu themes and values.

Lastly, we analysed the works of Indian modernists, who brought their own uniqueness to their art styles.

The most important part of this project lay in sharing our passion and communicating our perspective with individuals who shared a genuine interest in everything we had to offer. The age-old, the opulent, the picturesque art, together we basked in its renewed splendor. Our audience paid keen attention, displayed remarkable patience, and posed thought-provoking questions. The love, delight and appreciation that rippled through the journey, as well as the walk itself, will forever hold a place in our hearts as an unforgettable memory. It added a prominent flower in our bouquet of Miranda days.

-Parthika and Aarushi