A large number of clubs, pubs and restaurants are now regularly holding art exhibits and installations among their chic, upmarket portals. And that’s a trend that has been seen followed in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as well, where nightclubs are seeming more eager to get an arty label now, more than ever before.
AD Singh’s Olive and ai have been hosting art-based dos for quite some time now, like the recent “Go-Go Gaga” at Olive, Delhi where Lady Gaga was themed with the showcase of a young artist or the “Beyond Sight” exhibition of photographs held at Olive, Bandra. For Singh, it’s a win-win situation on both ends. “Artists and art galleries like working with us because we bring in an additional audience apart from those who visit their galleries. As for our regulars it’s great because in addition to the food and service experience they’ve come for, they’re also exposed to a variety of artists,” he says.
Other than the business aspect, piggybacking on art also sprinkles some intellectual moon dust, a great go-to option for any nightspot’s image. Zenzi Mills in Mumbai regularly hosts events that are, in all effectiveness, a little hatke. The recent one being recreation of the place as Andy Warhol’s Factory from Manhattan and having the Supersonics play Velvet Underground all evening. Priya Paul, the owner of the Park Hotel chain in the country, has used art to make the boutique hotels more design-driven, edgy and contemporary. “It brings in a stylish touch to the entire ambience, making it less sterile and not so commercial,” she says, speaking of the lounge bar Aqua at The Park, Delhi, which comfortably nestles artists and their work by its poolside setting.
Informalising art also makes good use of a lazy summer evening as exemplified by the Las Ramblas concept of Lap Garden every week, where an artist gets to showcase his/her work to a crowd keen to enjoy a drink. Lap co-owner Arjun Rampal says, “Las Ramblas is an opportunity for Indian artists to explore uncharted vistas from their own backyard, a space to showcase their latest works to an enthralled captive audience that is enjoying their summer evening over a drink.”