FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Divya Khanna
Delhi Times, The Times of India, February 16, 2006

This was one art show that wasn't restricted by the four walls of a gallery. Artists from 12 countries around the globe had gathered at the Global Arts Village to showcase their work – paintings, sculptures, digital installations and so on. And the result was one interesting amalgamation of art forms, set all over the open lawns of the village.

Right at the entrance was a crocheted tree cosy by Carol Hummel from the USA. Almost all the guests were fascinated by the display and requested the shututerbugs to click a picture of theirs with it.

The show stealer was Peter Burke from Australia, who had employed artists from Delhi to paint two billboards, Bollywoodishtyle! And the best part was that the heroine on the billboard, Ms Shelly Innocence, arrived at the event to greet her fans wearing a glittering gold sari.

The other attraction was a multimedia installation by Jesse Stiles and Oliva Robinson from the USA, which drew a lot of praise from the audience. Later in the evening Kamal Modi, Rajeev Sethi, Peter Nagi, and Naresh Kapuria arrived and were seen congratulating the artists and lined up for Shelly Innocence's autograph.