The highlight of every edition of the Whitefield Art Collective is the Kala Car, an exhibit that showcases the creative and artistic prowess of art students. Over the years, this clever play on words has titled vehicles that have either been rescued from the scrap yard or sponsored or auctioned or all of the above.
This edition of the Whitefield Art collective, its ninth, has a Tesla taking the pride of place as one enters the venue. In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Tomorrow, Altered’, the car showcases the collective’s ethos. “There is nothing random about our selections for this art festival,” says Sumi Gupta, curator of the Whitefield Art Collective, adding, “And that includes the Kala Car too. The Tesla aligns with our vision as it is sustainable and electric.”
While past editions have seen artists Kalki Subramaniam, Pradeep Kumar and others work on the Kala Car, this year, the privilege went to art students. The car was shrouded in vinyl before it was painted. “It gives students a different medium to explore and create something visually impactful,” says Sumi.
She shares how the project is the cumulative effort of multiple students who are chosen based on their concepts that correspond with the theme for the year. The curatorial process takes months with a lot of fine tuning before it is finalised.
“We advise them on material, size, and other factors such as site conditions. Having held as many as 26 festivals in different parts of the country, we now know what works and what does not.” Besides that, the process of working on vinyl is time-consuming, says Sumi.
Put together by Sumi and her team, the Whitefield Art Collective comprises works by students of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Vogue Institute of Art and Design, Bangalore University, and the JD Institute of Design.
Sumi believes the layout and the venue offer visitors the chance to view the art on display multiple times as it could get too much to take at one sitting. With over 300 works of art, installations and sculptures spread over the VR Bengaluru mall, it would be understandable if it was seen piecemeal.
“People have the chance to keep coming back, as there is always something going on. Over the month, different workshops, sessions and events have been planned to make it an immersive, community event, with something that would appeal to every demographic.”
“It is phenomenal for the artists as they get a platform to showcase their work. They also get a chance to see how people react to their work, which is a boost to their confidence.”
Inaugurated by musician and environmentalistRicky Kej, this edition of the collective has 16 large scale, experimental installations crafted out of terracotta, jute, wood, mesh, fabric, light elements and other media.
Apart from submissions by students, the collective is also exhibiting Cinema Reimagined by Chennai-based Gita Hudson, and Elements by German artist Nele Martens. Those with a penchant for history and geography will be thrilled with a showcase by the MOD Foundation titled Re:Reading Bangalore that gives visitors a rare view of the city “through archives, maps, books, and visual narratives.”
A handpicked selection of 150 photographs from over 2,000 entries in a competition by Bengaluru in Focus, submitted by established and amateur photographers, is on display, as is Pockets of Hope presented by UNESCO, which exhibits photographs of marine ecosystems, in a bid to shine a light on their ecological fragility.
The collective, which is a not-for-profit foundation, is supported by the Yuj Foundation, and this year they have partnered with Caring with Colour, another not-for-profit initiative. “They teach through art in the villages of Karnataka. Over the next few weeks, we will not only showcase the works by some of the children from rural areas, but also bring some of them to Whitefield to view the exhibition; it will give them a chance to see their works on display.”
The Whitefield Art Collective is being held at VR Bengaluru, Whitefield till April 12. Entry free.
Visitor’s choice:
– Resin art workshop on March 28
– Events by Whitefield Literary Society on till March 29
– Young artists’ programme on April 4
– Art bazaar from April 5 to 12
– Art workshop (Illustrate the wild) on April 11
– Cyanotype and clay modelling workshop on April 12
Published – March 24, 2026 07:29 pm IST
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