A unique experiment with art

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here there are walls, there are art pieces. That is Bahu Art Gallery at Karkala, a unique experiment at a restaurant.  Paintings adorn the walls right from the reception up to the air-conditioned hall of Hotel Prakash situated in the heart of the town.  Apart from adding to the aesthetics of the hotel, the proprietor Hari Prakash Shetty is providing a forum to the artists to display their creative works. However, the brain behind this novel concept is the renowned artist Gopala Adkar, popularly known as Gopadkar.

     Such an idea was lingering in the ever-inventive mind of Gopadkar for quite a sometime. When Gopadkar was asked to do the interior decoration of the hotel, he seized the opportunity.   Hari Prakash, also an advocate, though did not know much about art, was however fascinated by the new concept.

     At Bahu Art Gallery, the works of an artist are displayed for a month.  However, paintings are sold depending on demand, only after the exhibition.  Thus unlike other galleries, solo exhibitions are conducted for as long as a month during the business hours of the hotel. The gallery, which is named after the 42-foot monolith of Bahubali in Karkala, was started in March with its inauguration by the director of the Moodbidri-based Alva’s Education Foundation Dr Mohan Alva, who himself is a connoisseur of art and literature. Besides, there is a small inaugural function for each exhibition. So far works of K Pundalika Shenoy, Harini and Ganesha Somayaji have been displayed.  Apart from himself Gopadkar has a long list of artists like Sanjeeva Shetty, Mohan Permude, Sharath Holla, Purushottama Adve, Mohan Sona and P N Acharya.

     Hari Prakash is of the view that initially they have to focus on artists of repute in order to drive home this novel concept. He, however, is not shrugging off the idea of giving opportunity to upcoming artists in future.

     Hari Prakash, though anxious before, is now excited for adopting such an innovative practical idea. Decorating the interiors with new looks in such short intervals has not only become feasible but also affordable; while it is not possible to change so frequently the other usual interiors done spending a huge sum. Interestingly, at this hotel cum gallery a customer can be a buyer of an art piece and vice versa. The oft-changing interiors, perhaps, symbolise the fast changing “tastes” of the people in the fast paced age. Bahu, probably only one of its kinds, is slowly succeeding in catching the attention of the customers and the art lovers alike.