The Hindu Business Line : Italian all the way

As Mumbai mourns the passing away of Pope John Paul II, there have been other happier reasons to think of Italy this fortnight. Both Italian art and cuisine have been in the limelight.

At the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Consulate General of Italy is presenting its exhibition `Italian Art 1950-1970: Masterpieces from a Farnesina Collection'.

Permanently housed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, the collection showcases the unique ways in which 20th-century Italian artists have interpreted the rapidly changing post-War world — more than 200 works, including Alighiero Boetti's `Airplanes' (1977), Salvatore Scarpitta's `Zeno' (1959), using bandages, oil and mixed media on wood.

Also worth watching out for are Fabrizio Plessi's video sculpture `Bombay — Bombay II' (1995) inspired by our Dhobi Ghat. Also the art of Gino de Dominicis, who died in 1998 "after trying to leave no trace of his life on the earth", says an accompanying catalogue, which leaves a page blank next to his name.

According to the author's will, the catalogue explains, no images of his work shall ever be reproduced. The exhibition continues till April 22.

Chefs line up

To savour the Italian experience in a completely different way, check out the Flavours of Italy at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Over the next three months, Italian guest chefs from other Grand Hyatt hotels across the world will make their presence felt at the hotel's Italian restaurant Celini. The first in the series, up to April 16, is Chef Samuele Rossi, from Badia Polesine, Northern Italy, and Chef de Cuisine at Da Giorgio, Grand Hyatt, Beijing. Check out his Tiramisu with Espresso Gelato, the traditional Italian dessert; it is a delight.

The Italian cuisine experience does not end here; if you enjoy rustling up culinary delights yourself, then on Saturday, April 9, he will conduct a cookery class at the Molteni open-show kitchen of the M restaurant, followed by a sumptuous lunch.

While you are there, do look at Andrew Logan's just-completed Gazebo, an amazing conical installation in which the moon appears right in the centre on a full moon night. Logan is one of Britain's leading sculptural artists and an icon of the Alternative Art movement; his work at the Grand Hyatt forms part of the Lord Shiva theme that dominates the hotel's art works.

Galleries galore

This month is a busy one for the city's art aficionados. The highlight, of course, has been Tina Ambani's `Harmony' show, which completes a decade this year, curated by Vickram Sethi, and with more than 200 artists showcasing approximately 500 works.

Then there is also Ashish Anand's `Manifestations' from the Delhi Art Gallery collection, featuring 100 artists, including Jogen Chowdhury, Anjolie Ela Menon, Satish Gujral, M.F. Husain and many others. There is something for everyone here — the Early Bengal oils, J.P. Gangooly's immense landscapes, figurative work of neo-tantric painter G.R. Santosh and cubist human figures of Rabin Mondal, showcasing both works of historical importance and newer but difficult to access works. The exhibition is on at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery till April 12.

Also, if the art beat interests you, there are some new galleries in town, like the art gallery at the Inox Mall and Multiplex at Nariman Point, and a charming little wood-encrusted space called Three Blyind Mice, tucked away near the sweet shop Kailash Parbat at Colaba Causeway. There are so many paintings here — both investment art and more affordable ones — that there is little room to move.

Ashish Balram Nagpal, who runs a gallery at The Courtyard at Colaba, says interest in Indian art is growing overseas, and more people are looking on it as a worthwhile investment. The opening of so many new galleries in the city is testimony to this fact. It's a pity that many of these are little known.

A slice of Singapore

The Singapore Food Fiesta at Woks, the pan-Asian restaurant at the Intercontinental The Grand, saw the coming together of different cuisines. Master Chef Mawa says Indians are far more willing to try out new tastes, and the good thing about Singaporean food is that our people can relate to it because of its Indian influences. Since it is at the crossroads of Asia, the food is truly varied: for breakfast you can try nasi lemak, a Malay rice dish with fish; for lunch, chicken biryani; colonial-style high tea in the afternoon and a sumptuous Chinese banquet for dinner. In fact, Chef Mawa says few Singaporeans actually cook food in their own homes; they simply eat out.

With all this variety, he adds, guess what they often opt for in our shrinking global culture — McDonald's!

Response can be sent to life@thehindu.co.in

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