Art in the right place

In 2018 Kashmiri artist Syed Mujtaba Rizvi helmed an exhibition titled Concourse which featured the works of over 60 artists in the centuryold filature at Srinagarrsquos historic silk factory What lent gravitas to the event was the fact that it brought together artists from the estranged Kashmiri Pandit and Muslim communities many of whom were visiting their birthplace after an inordinately long time ldquoThere were some second and third generation Kashmiris whose parents and grandparents had fled during the exodus of 1989 and were now visiting their ancestral land for the first timerdquo says the 33yearold It was the last major art event that Srinagar witnessedBut apparently that lull hasnrsquot made a dent in the cityrsquos reputation as an arts and craft destinationSyed Mujtaba RizviLast month the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO designated Srinagar as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network UCCN under the Craft and Folk Arts category With this the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir has entered the club of 295 creative cities network across the world After Mumbai Chennai Hyderabad Varanasi and Jaipur Srinagar is the sixth Indian city to achieve this distinctionCreated in 2004 the UCCN fosters international cooperation across cities of the world that invest in culture and creativity as accelerators of sustainable development This is done through seven creative fieldsmdashcrafts and folk art design film gastronomy literature media arts and music As of the 2021 a maximum of two applications from the same country and in two different creative fields can be eligible for designationTraditional Kashmiri artisans seen weaving silk carpets at a factory in Srinagar PicGetty ImagesIncidentally Srinagar had made its first application in 2018 ldquoThe civic authorities persisted and reapplied after roping in INTACH as consultantrdquo says Aparna Dubey founder of independent consulting practice Changing Orbits where she works with companies to enhance the business model ldquoThey also involved many other government bodies and departments to present a comprehensive application The new application emphasised the long history heritage and development of Srinagarrsquos unique art and crafts industry Thanks to this perseverance Srinagar has now joined the ranks of global cities like Cairo Chiang Mai and Santa FerdquoThe work done by Rizvirsquos Kashmir Art Quest a contemporary art foundation launched in 2010 that has showcased the works of over 200 senior and emerging artists across the world was also included in the application that was sent to the UN body Aparna Dubey Pranav Iyer and Abha Narain LambahThe abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A that gave the state its special status in 2019 followed by the onslaught of the Coronavirus pandemic have dealt a severe blow to the arts scene in Kashmir observes Rizvi who was one of the many young entrepreneurs to move out of the state in search of better prospects in the last two years ldquoUnless this recognition translates into something tangible on ground it means little at this pointrdquo he saysBut Dubey is more hopeful The achievement as a UCCN city is an opportunity for Srinagar to not just revive but thrive she believes ldquoA long term vision will require comprehensive collaborative efforts that include development of microfinance skill development ecommerce digital marketing and capacity buildingrdquoMeanwhile the Jammu and Kashmir government has appointed conservation architect Abha Narian Lambah to begin the restoration of two Mughal Gardens Nishat Bagh and Shalimar Bagh in collaboration with the JSW Foundation According to Lambah the recognition is a nod to Srinagarrsquos rich history which predates the Mughals ldquoWhen Timur Gurkani TurkoMongol conqueror invaded Persia a lot of Persians migrated to Kashmir They brought with them a gamut of crafts such as woodcrafts shawl making embroidery and papier mache during the reign of Sultan ZainulAbidin 1421 AD to 1474 ADrdquo Lambah whose grandfather lived in an ancient timberframed house in Srinagar has fond memories of roaming the bylanes of Zaina Kadal Zainrsquos bridge in ShahereKhaas ldquoAt every corner yoursquod see a craftsman creating beaten metal utensils My aunt used to deal in carpets and she had taken me to a workshop where the artisan would read out the pattern to fellow artists in a singsong voicerdquo During Mughal emperor Akbarrsquos rule there were 40000 carpet and shawl workshops in operation as recorded in the AiniAkbari or the Administration of Akbar a 16thcentury document recording the workings of the Mughal Empire written by his court historian Abursquol FazlArchitect Pranay Iyer Design Principal at Ground 11 Architects thinks that the exclusion that has plagued Srinagar for decades may have also allowed it to enrich its urban fabric with a unique identity ldquoThough not physically lsquoenclosedrsquo Srinagar has largely escaped globalisation that sweeps across most cities and cultures and what remains depends entirely on the depth of its cultural roots Srinagar has been like a beautiful tree growing in a pot Over several decades its roots have become denser since it has not been able to really be a part of the orchard that is India in terms of interaction with the rest of the country This period of gestation has allowed it to enrich itself with its own identity culture and creativityrdquo he explains